Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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382. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of appointments made to State boards under his Department's remit since March 2011; the number of positions that have been advertised; the number of applications to the boards; the number of appointments to the board that were drawn from the applications; the current number of vacancies on each board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28980/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I am interpreting the Deputy's question in a broad manner so as to provide the information which I believe he is seeking. The term State Boards is somewhat imprecise as it includes bodies with a wide and diverse range of functions many of which would not fall into the more commonly understood definition of Board which is a body with a governance oversight of an organisation. To be of assistance to the Deputy I have interpreted his question as embracing all bodies called Boards, irrespective of their functions, as well as other bodies with a governance remit whose title does not include the term “Board”. In the cases where expressions of interest were sought, details of the appointments are provided below.

Censorship of Publications Board

There are currently five vacancies on the Censorship of Publications Board. Following my invitation for expressions of interest, a total of 36 applications were received. I expect to make appointments to these positions in the near future.

Censorship of Publications Appeal Board

There are currently five vacancies on the Censorship of Publications Appeal Board. Following my invitation for expressions of interest, a total of 33 applications were received. Again I expect to fill these positions shortly.

Children Detention Schools Board of Management

One appointment was made to the Children Detention Schools Board of Management. The position was not advertised as the appointment was made under Section 167(4)(a) of the Children Act, 2001 as amended, which requires at least one officer of the Minister. The person appointed was a civil servant.

Classification of Films Appeal Board

There are currently nine vacancies on the Classification of Films Appeal Board. Following my invitation for expressions of interest, a total of 44 applications were received. I expect to make appointments to these positions in the near future.

Courts Service Board

The Courts Service Board has 17 members, it is chaired by the Chief Justice and includes eight other judges, the CEO of the Courts Service, persons nominated by the Law Society, Bar Council and ICTU, an elected staff representative and three persons nominated by the Minister for Justice. There have been 15 appointments, three of which were individuals nominated by myself including a civil servant from my Department. There are no vacancies at present.

Garda Síochána Arbitration Board

The Garda Síochána Arbitration Board is appointed by the Government and consists of a Chairperson, a member nominated by the representatives associations and a member nominated by the Government. The Chairperson is appointed on the nomination of the Ministers for Justice & Equality and Public Expenditure & Reform in agreement with the representative associations. Four appointments were made to the board. There are no current vacancies.

Garda Síochána Complaints Board

Eight of the outgoing members were re-appointed as the Board, which has been replaced by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, only has a few outstanding cases on hands. The 9th appointee is a civil servant.

Judicial Appointments Advisory Board

Six appointments were made to the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board. The Board consists of 10 members, it is chaired by the Chief Justice and includes three other judges, the Attorney General, persons nominated by the Law Society and Bar Council and three persons nominated by the Minister for Justice and Equality. Three of the appointments were individuals nominated by myself. There are no current vacancies.

Legal Aid Board

Fourteen vacancies occurred. Of the 14 appointments to this Board, eight were civil or public servants. There are no current vacancies.

Mental Health (Criminal Law) Review Board

Four appointments were made to the Mental Health (Criminal Law) Review Board. There are currently no vacancies.

National Disability Authority (NDA)

One appointment was made to the board of the National Disability Authority (NDA). I made the appointment after seeking expressions of interest of which I received 12 applications. This appointment was from a public applicant. There are currently no vacancies on the board of the NDA.

Parole Board

There were ten appointments made to the Parole Board. There are currently no vacancies.

Private Security Appeal Board

Four vacancies occurred. The Government appointed four people on 3 April, 2012. The proposed Chairperson appeared before the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence. There are no current vacancies.

Private Security Authority (PSA)

Eleven vacancies occurred. Out of these seven positions were advertised as the remaining four positions, in accordance with the relevant legislation, are to be nominated representatives from my own Department, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, An Garda Síochána and the PSA itself. Following my invitation for expressions of interest, a total of 29 applications were received. While I have not yet announced details of the Board, I can advise that I expect to fill the seven positions from those 29 applications received.

Property Registration Authority

Three appointments were made to the Property Registration Authority, of which, in accordance with the legislation, one is a nominee of the Law Society, one is a nominee of the Bar Council and the 3rd the elected Property Registration Authority staff representative. There are no current vacancies.

Property Services Appeal Board

The Government made six appointments after seeking expressions of interest of which my Department received 41 applications. Those appointed were public applicants. The proposed Chairperson appeared before the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence. There are no current vacancies.

Property Services Regulatory Authority

Eleven appointments were made to the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA). I received 114 applications after seeking expressions of interest from members of the public. Nine of those appointed were public applicants, one is a civil servant and the Chairperson, who was a member of the Property Services Regulatory Authority Implementation Team, was appointed in order to provide continuity to the Authority which had operated on a non-statutory basis for a number of years. The proposed Chairperson appeared before the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence. There are no current vacancies.

The Equality Authority

The fourteen outgoing board members of the Equality Authority accepted reappointment in September 2011 for a further term which concluded at the end of July 2012, and therefore the issues of selection did not arise. The Deputy will be aware that the Human Rights Commission and the Equality Authority are in the process of merging to form a new enhanced Irish Human Rights and Equality Authority Commission (IHREC) to promote human rights and equality issues in a more efficient, effective and coherent way. The Working Group that I established to advise me on the practical issues in relation to the establishment of a new Commission in its Report of April 2012 recommended that an independent Selection Panel be set up for the purpose of appointing the new members. This is in line with a fundamental requirement of the Paris Principles that the members of the IHREC be independent and that the selection process be independent of Government.

In November 2012 advertisements inviting expressions of interest for the position of Chief Commissioner and of "ordinary" member appeared in the media. The independent panel forwarded its recommendations of 14 names in March 2013. While the persons recommended cannot be appointed to the IHREC in advance of the required legislation being enacted and commenced, the Government has appointed the 14 individuals as members of the Human Rights Commission and subsequently they will be appointed as members of the IHREC when the legislation is enacted, on a 3 year or 5 year basis to ensure that the term of office of all members of the new Commission will not come to an end at the same time so as to preserve institutional continuity. On 31 May 2013, I appointed 12 of their number to the board of the Equality Authority, under the Employment Equality Act 1998, as amended, on an interim basis of 3 years, but which will otherwise expire when the Bill to establish the IHREC is enacted and commenced and the two bodies are dissolved.