Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 911: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of public appointments made by his Department since 2002. [1168/06]

Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 912: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of public appointments currently vacant and yet to be made by his Department. [1169/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 911 and 912 together.

The position is as follows. A new board of seven members was appointed to the Western Development Commission, WDC, in 2002. In 2003, one replacement appointment was made to this board. A new board of five members was appointed in 2004. There are currently no vacancies on the WDC board.

Three appointments were made to the board of Údarás na Gaeltachta in 2005. Three appointments were made to the board of Arramara Teoranta in 2003. There are no vacancies at present on either board.

Appointments to the board of the Foras Teanga are made jointly by myself and the appropriate Northern Ireland Minister acting as the North-South Ministerial Council. The Foras Teanga comprises two agencies: the Ulster Scots Agency and Foras na Gaeilge. Each has a separate board, which together constitutes the board of the North-South language body, an Foras Teanga. There are 14 members on the board of Foras na Gaeilge, who were appointed in 2002. Two other board members appointed in 2002 resigned, leaving two vacancies at present. The question of making appointments to fill the two existing vacancies will be considered in due course in the North-South context.

The board of the Ulster Scots Agency, eight members, was appointed in 2002. There are no vacancies at present.

Twelve members of Bord na Leabhair Gaeilge were appointed in 2005. There are currently no vacancies on this board.

The 12 members of an Coimisiún Logainmneacha were appointed in 2003. There are no vacancies at present.

One appointment was made to the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board in 2003 to fill a vacancy. In 2005, four reappointments were made to the board in respect of members whose terms of office had expired. The Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Act provided for the dissolution of the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board and for the establishment of a reconstituted board, Dormant Accounts Board. I established this board on 4 January 2006, and appointed a chairperson and 11 members. There are no vacancies on this board.

For the sake of completeness, two appointments have been made by Government, in accordance with the Charities Act 1961 to the board of the Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests for Ireland since 2002. There is a one vacancy on the board.

An additional five members nominated by Government were appointed to the board of Area Development Management Limited, ADM, in 2004 under the company's memorandum and articles of association at the time. In 2005, following changes to the articles and memorandum of association, which included a change of name to Pobal, the Government appointed seven members to the board. There are no vacancies on the board of Pobal.