Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I raised this issue quite recently but I want to raise it again and ask for a debate. I want to express my frustration and disappointment with the current level of vacancies on State boards under the remit of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, which is responsible for these appointments. According to a new response issued to my party colleague, Deputy Ó Snodaigh, almost 50% of the boards for which the Minister has responsibility currently have vacancies and four of these boards are without a chairperson. Particularly concerning for me is the fact that the Arts Council is without a chair since December 2023. This is a State agency with a budget of €130 million and six of its 13 board positions, including that of chair, lie idle. The extent of vacancies obviously poses a real and serious concern about corporate governance. I also wonder about the people who apply for these positions. In what world would we ask people to wait six months in any other recruitment process? Are we just expecting people who are retired to apply for these roles? I wonder what the delay is, particularly with the Arts Council. I would like statements on appointments to State boards under the remit of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.