Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide in tabular form all appointments to State boards under his ambit since the Government took office; when the person was appointed; if the position entitles the holder to remuneration and if so the amount in each case; if the appointment was made in accordance with new procedures whereby Departments has to invite expressions of interest from the public in vacancies on the boards under their aegis. [45803/12]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of chairs of State boards that have been appointed since the Government came into office; if there is a remuneration for the position and if so the amount of same; if the appointee was required to go before Oireachtas Committees to discuss what they have to offer to the particular Board or Committee to which they are being appointed. [45819/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 419 and 420 together.

Up to 30 September 2012, the latest date for which information is available, the position is as follows:

* The board of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority was reappointed from 1 May 2012 and replaced by a new board from 1 June 2012 which will continue in place until 31 December 2013.

** Those members of the PRTB Board who are entitled to fees are paid such fees on an attendance basis only. Details regarding the scale of fees and the amounts paid are published in the annual reports of the PRTB.

*** The Local Government Management Agency was established on 1st August 2012 which replaces the Local Government Computer Services Board and the Local Government Management Services Board.

Reference to remuneration to chairs and members of Boards is to the level of fee to which they are entitled. Where public servants are appointed to Boards, no fees are payable.

A notice was placed on my Department’s website on 19 July, 2011 seeking expressions of interest, from suitably qualified and experienced persons, for consideration as members or chairpersons of the boards of state bodies under the aegis of my Department. The notice is updated regularly as specific vacancies arise.

Vacancies on the boards of other bodies under the Department’s aegis will be notified on the website as they arise. However, expressions of interest can be made at any time and will be kept on file in my Department for consideration as vacancies occur.

All appointments are made in accordance with the appropriate legislation governing appointments to each body. In considering applications due regard is had to Government policy regarding gender balance on State Boards.

A number of different statutory processes are involved in appointments to State boards. In some cases statutory selection procedures must be followed or nominations must be sought from independent nominating panels before appointments are made by the Government or by the Minister. In a number of situations, only some appointments to the body concerned are made by the Minister, or appointments are made with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

The Boards of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and An Bord Pleanála are executive in nature and members are employed on a full time salaried basis. The appointments as Chairperson of An Bord Pleanála and Director General of the EPA were made by Government following competitions held by the Public Appointments Service.

The Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency (HSCA) was formally established on 1 August 2012 under the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency (Establishment) Order 2012. I am considering the appointment of the Board of the HSCA, and it is anticipated that this process will be concluded in the near future.

The Dormant Accounts Board will be dissolved by the end of 2012 when the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Act, 2012 is commenced.

The following members were appointed to the Board of Pobal, a not-for-profit company under the aegis of my Department, by Government:

Article 3 of the Articles of Association of Pobal requires the Minister to consider nominations received from a list of stakeholders and the Social Partners defined by Government in 2005. The list comprises:

- Social Partners party to the Sustaining Progress Agreement; and Stakeholders - Area and Community Partnership, - County Childcare Committees, and - County and City Managers Association. A consultation process was conducted and 22 nominations received from the Stakeholders and the National Social Partners were considered for purposes of the Government appointments to the vacant positions on the board.

My Department has put in place procedures whereby the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment, Transport, Culture and the Gaeltacht will be notified of nominations as Chairperson of State Bodies under the aegis of my Department prior to their appointment.

Chairs of State bodies are in general available to appear before the relevant Oireachtas Committees when so requested.