Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 396: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide a breakdown of the number of appointments that have been made to State boards by him since he came to office including the names of the appointees and the boards they have been appointed to; the number of these appointments that have been made using new procedures involving the advertising of such posts on his Department's websites and the interview of the chairperson of boards by Oireachtas committee; if he will highlight situations where this process has not occurred; and the reason it has not occurred in each case. [5038/12]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 397: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of retired public servants that have been rehired by him, or rehired by State agencies under his aegis. [5063/12]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 396 and 397 together.

The information sought by the Deputy concerning appointments to State boards in the bodies funded from my Department's Vote Group is set out in the following table. In relation to the re-hiring of retired public servants, in common with other Government Departments, my Department does, from time to time, engage the assistance of retired staff on a consultancy basis where particular expertise or experience in Civil and Public Service procedures is required in relation to a particular matter. In this regard, my Department has engaged two former senior officials to carry out specific pieces of work. With regard to the bodies funded from my Department's Vote Group, Údarás na Gaeltachta have retained the services of one former official, Foras na Gaeilge have re-hired three staff members to carry out specific specialised work and the Ulster-Scots Agency have re-hired two public servants.