Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 357: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the saving to the State if all State agency board members' annual payments were rescinded and instead board membership was awarded without remuneration. [30256/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Based on the latest full year for which figures are available, 2010, fees totalling €428,605 were payable to board members in State agencies under the aegis of my Department. On the basis that all fees were paid it should be possible to save the entire amount through the abolition of fees. Where public servants are appointed to Boards, no fees are payable. In this regard, public servants make up over half of the combined membership of the Boards of agencies under my Department's aegis. The boards of An Bord Pleanála and the Environmental Protection Agency are executive in nature and the members hold full-time salaried positions. As part of a rigorous appraisal of the State Agencies under the aegis of my Department, the overall number of agencies is being reduced from 21 to 12.