Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 419: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources 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 chairpersons 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. [5040/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I can inform the Deputy that there are 18 State bodies under the aegis of my Department. Of these there are 15 whose boards are appointed in whole in or in part by the Minister and/or the Government.

On 3 June 2011, I publicly sought Expressions of Interest from anyone wishing to be considered for appointment to vacancies which were to arise on State Boards, under the aegis of my Department, up to the end of 2011. I would point out that such appointments are made in the exercise of the statutory discretion of the Minister, and that I am neither obliged nor confined to making appointments from the tendered expressions of interest.

I can also inform the Deputy that the Broadcasting Act 2009 (No. 18 of 2009) and the Inland Fisheries Act 2010 (No. 10 of 2010), provide that a number of Board members may be made on the nomination of the relevant Joint Oireachtas Committee. I have made no appointments to these Boards.

The accompanying table details the appointments to State Boards which have been filled since 9th March 2011 and appointments made from the Expressions of Interest

* Official in my Department