Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 220: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of appointments to public boards and bodies under the aegis of his Department that he has made for the past three years; if such appointments are salaried; if so, the salary details for each category of appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9106/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My predecessor or I made appointments to the following bodies under the aegis of the Department of Foreign Affairs over the past three years: the advisory board for Development Cooperation Ireland, formerly the advisory board of Ireland Aid; the Development Education Advisory Committee; the Agency for Personal Services Overseas, APSO; the board of the Ireland-United States Commission for Educational Exchange, Fulbright Commission, and the DION Committee. Apart from board members who are also officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs, all appointees serve in a voluntary capacity.

The advisory board for Development Cooperation Ireland which, until September 2003, was called the advisory board of Ireland Aid, was established in August 2002 and operates under the aegis of Department of Foreign Affairs with a board of directors appointed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The following were appointed to the board on 1 August 2002: Mr. Desmond O'Malley, chairperson, resigned August 2003; Mr. David Andrews, chairperson of the executive committee of the Irish Red Cross Society - former Minister for Foreign Affairs; Fr. Gerard O'Connor, Redemptorist priest - worked with GOAL in Africa; Mr. Larry O'Loughlin, chief agricultural officer with Teagasc, board member of Self Help Development International; Mr. Jerry Liston, executive chairman of the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business; Ms Morina O'Neill, development education officer with Comhlámh, Development Workers in Global Solidarity, Ireland - worked as a development worker in Belize; Mr. Howard Dalzell, Concern Worldwide director of policy development and evaluation unit; Mr. David Begg, general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, formerly chief executive of Concern Worldwide; and Ms Sally O'Neill, Trócaire's regional director for Central America, based in Honduras.

On 6 March 2003, Mr. Padraig McManus, chief executive, Electricity Supply Board of Ireland, who has experience of working in west Africa for a number of years, was appointed to the board. Following the resignation of Mr. Desmond O'Malley as chairperson, Mr. Chris Flood, former Minister of State at the Departments of Health and Tourism, Sport and Recreation and Irish representative to the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance, was appointed chairperson on 4 September 2003. Development Education Advisory Committee The following members were appointed to the Development Education Advisory Committee, DEAC, for a two-year period with effect from 1 January 2003: Mr. Peadar Cremin, chairperson, president of Mary Immaculate College; Ms June Barry, education officer, Ógra Chorcaí, a Cork-based youth organisation; Mr. Michael Doorly, development education manager, Concern; Fr. P. J. Gormley, superior, SMA Fathers; Ms Jacqui Harrison, IBEC; Ms Annette Honan, independent consultant, former head of education department, Trócaire; Ms Alisa Keane, ICTU; Ms Frances Leahy, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA; Mr. Hugh O'Neill, Department of Education and Science; and Rev. Sahr Yambasu, Methodist minister from Sierra Leone.

On 28 March 2003, Ms Annette Honan resigned and was replaced by Ms Morina O'Neill, development education officer with Comhlámh, on 8 May 2003. Also in May, Mr. Hugh O'Neill was replaced by Mr. Robert Kirkpatrick, Department of Education and Science. Ms Frances Leahy resigned from DEAC on 12 August 2003 and was replaced by Mr. Peter Johnson, NCCA, on 24 October 2003 for a two-year period. Appointments or re-appointments for 2005 and 2006 are in the process of being made. Agency for Personal Service Overseas, APSO.

The following were appointed to the board of the Agency for Personal Service Overseas, APSO, during the period referred to by the Deputy, 1 August 2002: Mr. Joe O'Hara, lecturer, and Mr. John Murphy, financial consultant. 20 January 2003: Ms Catherine Boylan, staff nominee. 29 April 2003: Ms Helen Browne, Department of Foreign Affairs. 1 August 2003: Mr. Aidan O'Connor, engineer. 12 September 2003: Mr. Pat Bourne, Department of Foreign Affairs, replaced Ms Helen Browne. The board of APSO met for the last time on 6 July 2004. The activities of APSO are now integrated in Development Cooperation Ireland. The board of the Ireland-United States Commission for Educational Exchange, Fulbright Commission. In 2002, my predecessor, Deputy Cowen, appointed the following individuals to the Fulbright Commission for a two-year term: Professor Pat Fottrell, former president, NUI Galway; Professor Brian Hillery, emeritus professor, Graduate School of Business, UCD; Dr. Don Thornhill, then chairperson, Higher Education Authority; and Mrs. Joyce O'Connor, president, National College of Ireland.

In late 2004, I appointed the following to the Fulbright Commission, also for a two-year term: Dr. Don Thornhill, former chairperson, Higher Education Authority; Mrs Joyce O'Connor, president, National College of Ireland; and Ms Una Halligan, government and public affairs director, Hewlett Packard Ireland.

I expect to appoint a fourth member shortly. The DÍON Committee, an advisory committee to the Government established in 1984 in response to concern about the situation of Irish emigrants in Britain. The then Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Cowen, reappointed the following members to the Díon Committee with effect from 1 September 2004: Mr. Michael Forde, chairman, Irish World Heritage Centre, Manchester; Dr. Breda Gray, lecturer in social policy, University of Limerick; Dr. Theresa Joyce, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust; Mr. Jim O'Hara, Irish Youth Foundation, UK; and Ms Catherine Quinn, former member of Eastern Regional Health Authority and County Dublin Vocational Education Committee. The following members were newly appointed, also with effect from 1 September 2004: Mr. Seamus McGarry, former chair of the Federation of Irish Societies and member of the Ireland Fund; Mr. Michael Lonergan, first secretary, Embassy of Ireland, London — chairman; and Ms Amanda Bane, third secretary, Embassy of Ireland, London — secretary.