Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 7: To ask the Taoiseach the appointments made by him since May 2007 to the State boards or other agencies within his aegis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15548/09]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 8: To ask the Taoiseach the appointments made to boards or agencies operating under the aegis of his Department since May 2007 to date in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16607/09]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 9: To ask the Taoiseach the appointments made by him to State boards since May 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20709/09]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 9, inclusive, together.

The information sought by the Deputies concerning appointments made by me to State boards and agencies under the aegis of my Department since May 2007 is set out in the following schedule which I propose to circulate in the Official Report.

The agencies in question are the National Economic and Social Council, NESC, the National Economic and Social Forum, NESF, the National Centre for Partnership and Performance, NCPP, the Law Reform Commission and the National Statistics Board.

The members of State bodies under the aegis of my Department are appointed through well-established nominating procedures, having regard both to the remit of the bodies and, consequently, the particular competencies and skills expected of their members. In many instances, the members are nominated through relevant nominating panels. NESC and NESF, for example, comprise representatives of the various pillars involved in social partnership such as employer bodies, trade unions, farming organisations and community and voluntary organisations.

Boards and Agencies under the aegis of the Department of the Taoiseach

National Economic and Social Council (NESC)

National Economic and Social Forum (NESF)

National Centre for Partnership and Performance (NCPP)

Law Reform Commission (LRC)

The National Statistics Board (NSB)

All eight positions on the NSB are currently filled. The gender balance on the board is six males to two females. The current chair of the NSB is female.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Fine Gael recently published its public appointments transparency Bill. The Taoiseach's predecessor was of the mind to have some involvement from the Oireachtas in the appointment of chairpersons to important State bodies and agencies. It would not have been so much an interrogation role but an interactive one, inquiring as to the qualities, experience and difference appointees would make to particular boards. He said it might be useful to give some thought to involving committees of the House in the appointments to some boards. Does the Taoiseach share that view?

Any appointment will obviously come under scrutiny. Regardless of whoever is in government, any appointee will be labelled, whether it be true or not, as a hack or a crony. The same applied when the Fine Gael Party was in government. To deal with public cynicism about appointments to State bodies, there is merit in having some involvement from Oireachtas committees. Does the Taoiseach consider the principle of the public appointments transparency Bill as important? Does he believe it might be appropriate to have appointees explain to an Oireachtas committee their credentials and why they wish to take up the offer?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am not acquainted with the Bill to which the Deputy referred.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I will send the Taoiseach a copy.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy and I look forward to receiving it.

People are appointed to State boards on the basis of the competencies and knowledge they can bring to the work. These are non-executive appointments. We need good people for public service. We should base our views of their work, in whatever role they are asked to take up, objectively on the basis of their performance. As the Deputy said, some times a judgmental approach is taken by some regarding an appointment rather than watching their performance in implementing public policy or the commercialisation agenda which the bodies are mandated to do under statute. It is important that the appointment of people to State boards is not met with the usual knee-jerk reaction but based on an objective assessment on their work.

I have never, in either my ministerial experience or as Taoiseach, sought to appoint people purely on the basis of whether I know them personally, which incidentally is not a disqualification, or whether they have party affiliation but on what competencies they bring to the job. I can cite many instances in which I have had no problem in re-appointing people from predecessors' Administrations or in appointing people who may not be obviously of my party political faith. That is not relevant and certainly is not essential in the context of appointing people to boards. It is important that boards have credibility and are peopled by appointees who have a contribution to make and who can bring to play particular skills. One issue that arises is to ensure there are sufficient people available for such appointments and I do not believe in politicising the appointment process in that respect. Ministers have roles to appoint, usually on the basis of advice given as to suitable people for consideration, and it is incumbent on all Ministers in their appointments to ensure that such appointments are seen to be credible and are of people of character who can be depended on to display the proper ethical standards.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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What progress in respect of gender balance has been made with regard to appointments to the various boards? The aim of the Government is to have male and female representation of at least 40% on each board. My recollection is that when the Minister for Defence, who is sitting beside the Taoiseach, was a Minister of State with responsibility in this area, he suggested that he might introduce legislation to ensure this would happen, had it not happened voluntarily within a period of six months. As I believe that was the best part of a decade ago, what progress has been made in this regard? Is a mechanism in operation whenever someone is being appointed to a State board to ensure the issue of gender balance is considered before such an appointment is made?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I will outline the current gender breakdown of all the bodies under the aegis of my Department, distinguishing between direct appointees and nominations. As for the National Statistics Board, there are five male and one female direct appointees, as well as one male and one female nominee. The Law Reform Commission is formed by nomination and there are two male and three female nominees. On the National Centre for Partnership and Performance, there are three female and one male direct appointees and eight male and three female nominees. On the National Economic and Social Council, there are three male and one female direct appointees, as well as 19 male and eight female nominees. Finally, the National Economic and Social Forum has seven female and four male direct appointees and 33 male and 17 female nominees. These figures will provide the Deputy with an indication. A problem in respect of nominations is the surprising inability of some sources to provide female representation, given their broad policy positions on many of these areas.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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While I appreciate the questions under discussion do not refer to the Taoiseach's tenure in that office alone, within the two-year period since the general election of 2007, have any former Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas been included in any of those appointments over the two years?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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In my Department?

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Are any such appointees former Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas? Do former Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas sit on any agencies or boards that are under the direct aegis of the Department of the Taoiseach?

I have asked numerous times, and other voices have echoed the same sentiments, whether the Taoiseach has given further consideration to an open, competitive and transparent application process for positions arising on the boards of any agencies or boards under the direct remit of his Department. Does the Taoiseach not accept there is a great wealth of experience, interest and willingness to serve in such positions across the community that will not register in the consideration of a closed approach on the part of whoever within any given Department is entrusted with examining the pool from which such names are drawn? Does the Taoiseach not accept this issue merits revisitation and that this tremendous untapped resource must be opened up to State service in these respective institutions?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Personally, I invite anyone who feels he or she has something to offer by appointment to a board to contact my office at any time.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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They should write to the Taoiseach-----

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Such people should write to me, let me know and send me their curricula vitae.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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-----and send their curricula vitae.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Exactly. It genuinely is important that the Government should know who is available and, by definition, one must search to find people. Some organisations have indicated their preferences through directories and others have sent lists of people for consideration. Such people are considered and some are appointed. It is difficult, however, to set out a form of bureaucratic system of assessment of this matter. It is a question of finding people, depending on the business of the organisation, to establish a good and balanced non-executive board that will work with the executive and will have the ability to think strategically about the future of such organisations, on how best they should be managed and what they should be doing. Moreover, they should be working within broad Government policy, if not direction. They cannot do their own thing regardless as they must work to a consistent policy framework. However, allowing for that, important functions of a board include the need to show initiative, fresh thinking and the ability to change and adapt the roles of such organisations, which sometimes would require subsequent ministerial or Cabinet approval, and consequently people of ability are needed on them. Regardless of whether they are commercial boards or simply are boards that are charged with delivering services or when public moneys are involved, the governance of such organisations obviously is important and the job must be done properly and competently. Where it is not done, the Government must be prepared to move on and reshape these boards.

For example, I refer to the recent controversy that arose in respect of FÁS. That organisation, its board and the composition thereof must be changed and adapted and must move on. An important aspect of governance arrangements is to show that the board should be changed, or certainly that the idea of simply nominating from various bodies regardless is not necessarily the most dynamic means of achieving the valid and legitimate objectives as originally set out.

An important aspect of ministerial work is to be acquainted with people who serve on such boards, to be in touch with them, to listen and talk to them, to be in contact with them to ascertain what they are doing and to ensure they are in line with overall Government objectives and that work is being conducted in an appropriate and proper fashion. This is an ongoing task and discipline that must be considered all the time. As for membership or prospective membership, I issue a genuine invitation to all those who feel they have a contribution to make and who are motivated by public service to apprise Departments, organisations or Ministers accordingly.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Perhaps the Taoiseach does not have the information immediately to hand, but if he does, can he advise Members whether former Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas have been appointed since the general election of 2007 to any of the aforementioned boards or agencies? Are any former Members of either House of the Oireachtas serving on any bodies directly under the remit of the Department of the Taoiseach at present?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I will provide this information to the Deputy. Offhand, I am unaware whether former Oireachtas Members are serving on the boards of the aforementioned agencies. I reiterate that former Oireachtas Members can, in certain circumstances, be highly valuable members of boards, depending on the activities in which the boards are engaged.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I find the Taoiseach's comments difficult to accept. I point out to him that to use "governance" in the same sentence as "the board of FÁS" is a contradiction in terms. It is certainly not one of the areas to which I would allude if I were to speak about improving governance, transparency and accountability in this country.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Arising from that contribution, I presume the Deputy's view is that he does not want any changes arising from what happened in FÁS.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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That is facetiousness beyond the Taoiseach's-----

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The facetiousness emanated from the Deputy's bench.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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We all know of the Taoiseach's backing for the man in charge of FÁS.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Whatever that is supposed to mean.