Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 419: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the detailed process that was involved in the selection of the current chief executive of the National Consumer Agency; the procedures that were put in place to ensure the selected candidate met basic criteria, for example, sufficient leadership skills and experience, expertise and experience in managing large budgets, communication skills, strategic planning and management experience; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14832/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The core recommendation in the consumer strategy group report, Make Consumers Count, was the establishment of a new national consumer agency, a recommendation which was fully accepted by the Government. The establishment of the new agency will require primary legislation and work on the preparation of that legislation is well under way in my Department. In the interim period until the NCA is formally established, I appointed an interim board to the NCA to ensure that the momentum of the work of the consumer strategy group was maintained.

Since its appointment the interim board has been very active in terms of advocating the consumer's case on issues such as the groceries order as well as promoting greater awareness of consumer rights. The activities of the interim board are expected to increase significantly in 2006 and, to that end, funding totalling €3 million has been allocated in my Department's Vote to support these activities. A key element of the interim board's activities, as identified in the terms of reference approved by Government, will be to prepare the way for the new statutory agency.

Given the important role for the interim board in constructing the new agency, together with the significant expected increase in its activities, it was considered appropriate that the board should have the support of a full-time executive. To that end, the current chairperson of the interim board was asked to assume a full-time position of executive chairperson for a period of one year. I am satisfied that the chairperson's experience not only in her existing non-executive capacity on the interim board but also as the chairperson of the consumer strategy group and her wider experience in other areas of economic life eminently qualify her for appointment to this temporary executive assignment. I am confident her appointment as a full-time executive will allow the chairperson to enable the interim board to carry out its agreed terms of reference and, in addition, ensure that all the necessary preparations are made so that the national consumer agency can hit the ground running once it is formally established.

Notwithstanding the temporary appointment of an executive chairperson to the interim board, it is the intention that the statutory agency, when established, will be governed by a non-executive appointed board supported by a full-time chief executive officer who will be recruited by way of open competition in accordance with normal public service procedures.