Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 122: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the statutory processes involved in the appointment of chairs and members of non-departmental public bodies under the remit of his Department and their legislative origin. [38343/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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There are four bodies of this type under the aegis of my Department, only one of which was established by statute. The Fulbright Commission was established under the Educational Exchange (Ireland and the United States of America) Act 1991. The role and function of the Fulbright Commission is to finance study, research, teaching and other educational activities between Ireland and the United States of America.

Section 3 of the Act sets out the statutory process for the appointment of members to the board. The Board of the Commission comprises eight members: four members from Ireland and four from the US, appointed respectively by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the US Ambassador to Ireland. Members serve for a two year term and are eligible for re-appointment for not more than three further consecutive terms.

Three other bodies under the remit of my Department have been established to provide advice on specific issues. The Díon Committee was established in 1984 and is based in the Embassy of Ireland in London. The committee's function is to advise the Minister for Foreign Affairs on applications for funding from organisations that support our emigrants in Britain, as well as on issues of interest and concern to the Irish community.

The Advisory Board for Irish Aid was established in August 2002 following a recommendation in the Report of the Ireland Aid Review Committee, published in February 2002. The board works closely with the Government's Official Development Assistance programme, Irish Aid, in order to maximise the quality, effectiveness and accountability of the programme.

The Development Education Advisory Committee, DEAC, was established in 2003, also on the recommendation of the Ireland Aid Review Committee. The function of the committee is to offer policy advice to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and to the responsible Minister of State on development education and on ways of increasing knowledge and understanding of development issues in Ireland.