Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

The Minister will be responsible for appointing board members, all of whom must have knowledge or experience of matters relevant to the board's functions. All existing disbursement board members are eligible for re-appointment to the new board. The terms of office of board members are set at a maximum of five years for the chairperson and three years for other members. Other provisions relating to conditions of office, filling of casual vacancies, meetings and procedure, membership of the Oireachtas, the European Parliament, or local authorities, and disclosure of interest remain as they were for the former board.

The Bill provides in section 8, the new Part 6, for two stages in the process whereby the Government will make decisions on spending from the fund. First, provision is made in Part 6, section 42, for the preparation and submission for the Minister's approval not later than 1 June 2006 of the new board's plan for disbursement of moneys from the fund. Section 43 provides that the Minister, having consulted with other Ministers, shall, not less than once each year, make a proposal to the Government concerning the programmes or types of projects in relation to which applications for funding should be invited.