Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 489: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality 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 to which they have been appointed; the number of these appointments that have been made using new procedures involving the advertising of such posts on his Department's website 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. [5048/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I wish to inform the Deputy that the information requested is as follows:

1. Children Detention Schools Board of Management

Member

Mr. Dan Kelleher was appointed on 20 September 2011.

2. Courts Service Board

Member

Mr. Shane Browne

Mr. Pat Doyle

Ms. Deirdre O'Keeffe

The above were appointed on 5 December 2011.

3. Equality Authority

I have re-appointed the outgoing Board of the Equality Authority until the end of February 2012, by which time, I intend to have the necessary legislation in place to establish a new and enhanced Human Rights and Equality Commission.

Chairperson

Dr. Angela Kerins

Mr. Christy Lynch (vice-chairperson)

Ordinary Members

Ms. Rhona Murphy

Ms. Salome Mbugua

Ms. Ellen Mongan

Ms. Betty O'Leary

Mr. Peter White

Mr. Seán Fogarty

Mr. Kieran Rose

Mr. Nigel Brander

Ms. Lynn Jackson

Mr. Paddy Maguinness

All of the above were appointed on 21 September 2011.

Mr. David Joyce

Ms. Annette Dolan

The above were appointed on 26 September 2011.

4. Judicial Appointments Advisory Board

Ordinary Members

Dr. Simon Boucher

Ms. Karen Dent

Dr. Valerie Bresnihan

All of the above were appointed with effect from 7 June 2011.

5. Legal Aid Board

Chairperson

Ms. Muriel Walls

Ordinary Members

Ms. Oonagh Buckley

Ms. Mary Dalton

Ms. Kate Hayes

Ms. Joy McGlynn

Ms. Oonagh Mc Phillips

Ms. Mícheál O'Connell

Mr. Donncha O'Connell

Mr. John O'Gorman

Mr. Philip O'Leary

Ms. Michelle O'Neill

Mr. Ger Power Mr. Rob Reid

All of the above were appointed on 14 December 2011.

Mr. David Garvey was appointed on 18 January 2012.

6. Mental Health (Criminal Law) Review Board

Chairperson

Judge Brian McCracken was re-appointed as Chairperson with effect from 27 September 2011.

Ordinary Members

Ms. Nora McGarry

Dr. Michael Mulcahy

Both of these were appointed with effect from 27 September 2011.

7. Parole Board

Chairperson

Mr. John Costello was appointed with effect from 26 July 2011.

Ordinary Member

Ms. Ciarin de Buis was appointed with effect from 26 July 2011.

8. Property Registration Authority

Ordinary Member

Mr. Frank Branigan was appointed on 29 April 2011.

Ms. Teresa Pilkington was appointed on 27 May 2011.

Ms. Deirdre Fox was appointed on 4 August 2011.

I can further inform the Deputy that none of the above positions were advertised either for reasons of timing, in that vacancies had to be filled quickly, or because relevant legislation required that the appointment be made on the nomination of a particular professional body. In the particular case of the Equality Authority, as the Deputy will be aware, the Government has agreed in principle to merge it with the Irish Human Rights Commission to form a new Human Rights and Equality Commission and the outgoing members of the Authority were re-appointed for the interim period to 29 February 2012. None of the above chairpersons has appeared before an Oireachtas Committee.

I would also like to inform the Deputy that I am currently in the process of appointing the Board of the Property Services Regulatory Authority. All of the positions on offer were advertised on my Department's website and on the website of the Public Appointments Service. I expect to use this process for future such appointments.