Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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893. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a list of all bodies, boards or committees under the remit of his Department to which ministerial appointments are made; the statutory provision providing for the making of such appointments in each case; the annual allowances or other payments made to the chairperson; the annual allowance or other payment made to an ordinary member; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37492/13]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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894. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a list of the boards, bodies or committees under the remit of his Department where there is currently a vacancy to be filled by ministerial appointment; if so, if the vacancy relates to the chairperson or an ordinary member or members, specifying the number of vacancies in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37507/13]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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895. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a list of the bodies, boards or committees under the remit of his Department where there is anticipated to be a vacancy within the next six months to be filled by ministerial appointment; if so, if the anticipated vacancy relates to the chairperson or an ordinary member or members, specifying the number of anticipated vacancies in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37522/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Question Nos. 893 to 895, inclusive, together.

The position as of 30 June 2013, the latest date for which information is available, is as follows:

* Those PRTB / Rent Tribunal members of the Board who are entitled to Board 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 rates of remuneration for the Boards of An Bord Pleanála and the Environmental Protection Agency have subsequently been reduced in line with the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013.

Reference to remuneration for 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. In 2012, my Department contacted State Agencies under its aegis, requesting that Board members be offered the option to waive fees on a discretionary basis.

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.

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 also 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 another Minister.

The Boards of An Bord Pleanála and the Environmental Protection Agency are executive in nature, and Board members are full-time, salaried positions.

Appointments are made taking into account the requirement of the position and the qualifications, experience and expertise of the potential candidates.

Pobal is a not-for-profit company with charitable status, which manages programmes on behalf of the Irish Government and the EU.