Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 203: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide a list of all current commercial semi State company and non-commercial State agency board appointees; and their annual remuneration and competencies. [28940/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I would like to inform the Deputy that the position in respect of public bodies under the auspices of my Department is that there are four agencies funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Family Support Agency, the National Educational Welfare Board and the Ombudsman for Children. With effect from 1 January 2012, I have taken responsibility for the children detention schools as provided in Part 10 of the Children Act 2001. They are funded through my Department's Vote and I am responsible for the appointment of their board of management. I do not have responsibility for any semi-State company. There is no Board of Management for the Ombudsman for Children.

The appointment of members to each of these bodies is not a competency-based process. The governing legislation in relation to each of these bodies sets out the composition of the Board either in terms of their qualifications and experience, or the Government Minister or body that is responsible for nominating representatives on them or who must be consulted in the nomination process. For example, the Adoption Act, 2010 requires that the Adoption Authority of Ireland consists of 7 members – the chairperson must be a Judge, barrister or solicitor and the ordinary members must include a social worker with experience in adoption practice, a social worker with research expertise in child welfare, child protection or both, a barrister or solicitor with experience in the practice of law in relation to families and children, a medical practitioner and a person with appropriate training in psychology. On the other hand, the Education Welfare Act, 2000 provides that the Minister shall make appointments to the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) from among persons who in the opinion of the Minister have a special interest or expertise in matters relating to the functions of the Board. There are also prescribed bodies to be consulted in appointing ordinary members. The Family Support Agency Act, 2001 provides that the Minister may appoint individuals to the Board who have a special interest or expertise in matters relating to the functions of the Agency. The Children Act, 2001 outlines the different Ministers and organisations that nominate persons to serve on the board of management of the children detention schools.

In making my decisions on appointments to Boards, subject to the governing legislation, I consider the most suitable persons for the positions available with due regard to the body or agency in question and its particular responsibilities and I seek to ensure that the appropriate mix of skills and experience is in place to achieve the best result.

I have set out in tabular format below, a list of current Board memberships, the remuneration received for each individual and their particular background or profession.

National Educational Welfare Board

Children Detention Schools

Family Support Agency

Adoption Authority of Ireland