Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 194: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of nominations from each gender to State boards for which his Department has responsibility in each of the years 2002 to date in 2007. [13162/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The overall position in regard to the gender composition of appointments to Boards under the aegis of my Department is summarised in the table below.

The Advisory Board for Irish Aid was established in August 2002. Board members were appointed for a period of three years. From 2002 to 2005, there were 11 members on the Board, 8 male and 3 female. A new Board was appointed in November 2005 for a period of three years. There are now 16 members on the Board, 8 male and 8 female.

The Development Education Advisory Committee (DEAC) was set up in 2003 to offer policy advice on development education and on ways to increase knowledge and understanding of development issues in Ireland. The original Committee (2003–2005) comprised 4 male and 4 female members. The current Committee (2005-2007) comprises 16 members, 11 male and 5 female.

The Fondation Irlandaise, which formally administers the Irish College in Paris, is managed by an Administration Council and a Board of Management comprising French and Irish nominees. A total of 16 Irish appointments were made to the Administration Council and Board of Management during the period in question, 11 male and 5 female.

The Ireland — United States Commission for Educational Exchange (the Fulbright Commission) finances study, research, teaching and other educational activities between Ireland and the United States of America. A total of 11 appointments have been made to the Commission during the period 2002 to date, of which 6 were male and 5 female.

In February 2003, responsibility for the Díon Committee on Emigrant support in Britain was transferred to the Department of Foreign Affairs from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Since then a total of 6 appointments have been made, 3 male and 3 female.

The Agency for Personal Service Overseas (APSO) was established in 1973 as a semi-state body operating under the aegis of the Department of Foreign Affairs, with a Board of Directors appointed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. APSO was integrated into the Department of Foreign Affairs on 1 January, 2004. During 2002 and 2003, a total of 5 appointments were made to the Board, 4 male and 1 female.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 195: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the appointments to State boards, other bodies under the aegis of his Department, or other public appointments of any kind, which will be due to be made by him between 29 March 2007 and 4 July 2007. [13208/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I envisage making the following appointments or nominations in the relevant period:

The term of office of one member of the Ireland-United States Commission for Educational Exchange (the Fulbright Commission) will come up for renewal in May 2007.

The terms of office of the Administrative Council and Board of Management of the Fondation Irlandaise (the Irish Cultural Centre) in Paris expire in May and the composition of the new Council and Board is currently under consideration. Ireland and France each appoints seven members to the Administrative Council. Ireland usually appoints fourteen of the fifteen members of the Board of Management, which is a less formal subsidiary body of the Council. These fourteen Irish nominees include the seven Irish members of the Council.

The Government has decided, in line with the recommendation of the White Paper on Overseas Development Assistance, to establish a Task Force on Hunger. It is anticipated that the membership of this Task Force will be announced before July. The Task Force will be appointed for a period of approximately six months and will present its final report to the Minister of State for Development Co-operation and Human Rights.