Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will list all the current positions, where the appointment was made by his Department held by retired senior civil servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42664/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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There are no retired senior civil servants currently appointed to positions within my Department. On occasion, my Department re-engages retired civil servants on a short-term basis to carry out certain tasks that require their particular experience and expertise. Such short-term engagements are subject to the abatement principle whereby the fees payable are set at a level that ensures that the individuals' pension plus fees do not exceed the salary level of their positions prior to retirement.

For the Deputy's information, the following retired senior civil servants have been appointed by me, or my predecessors, to non commercial bodies under the remit of my Department: John Dalton former Registrar of the Supreme Court to the position of Registrar on the Residential Institutions Review Committee (RIRC); Sean Benton former Chairman of OPW to the position of chairperson on the Education Finance Board (EFB); Paddy McDonagh former Assistant Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills to the position of ordinary member of An Foras Aiseanna Saothair (FÁS); Brigid McManus former Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills to the position of Chairperson of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA); Paul Haran former Secretary General of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to the position of Chairperson of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI); James O'Grady former Disability Policy Advisor to the Office of the Minister for Mental Health and Disability at the Department of Health to the position of ordinary member of National Council for Special Education (NCSE).