Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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1247. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide a list of all bodies, boards or committees under the remit of her 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 she will make a statement on the matter. [37488/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I would like to inform the Deputy there are four agencies which are funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI); the Family Support Agency (FSA); the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) and the Ombudsman for Children's Office (OCO). 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.

Apart from the Ombudsman for Children's Office which does not have a board, I am responsible for all board of management appointments. I can confirm that the statutory provisions enabling me to make appointments to the boards of management are as follows:

Family Support Agency - Section 10 of the Family Support Agency Act, 2001

National Educational Welfare Board - Section 9 of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000

Children Detention Schools - Section 167 of the Children Act, 2001

Adoption Authority of Ireland - Section 98 of the Adoption Act, 2010

I can confirm that in relation to the board for the National Educational Welfare Board, neither the chairperson or the ordinary members are in receipt of any remuneration. The chairperson and the ordinary members of the board for the Children Detention Schools are also not in receipt of any remuneration.

The chairperson for the Adoption Authority of Ireland is currently in receipt of €63,120 per annum and five of its ordinary members are in receipt of €7,965 per annum. One of the ordinary board members positions is currently vacant. The remuneration for this post is also €7,965 per annum.

The chairperson of the Family Support Agency is entitled to remuneration of €8,978 per annum and seven of the eleven ordinary members are entitled to €5,985 per annum. The other five ordinary members do not receive remuneration. The Deputy should note that the term for this board has expired and I am currently in the process of making new appointments to fill the existing vacancies. Pending the legal establishment of the Child and Family Agency (CFA), the newly appointed board of the FSA will, in addition to its existing functions, provide oversight and direction to the organisational preparations which are underway for the CFA.

Each agency/body maintains records of expenses paid to board members. For example, all board members are paid travel and subsistence as appropriate, in accordance with the provisions of the governing legislation, for attendance at board meetings.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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1248. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide a list of the boards, bodies or committees under the remit of her 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 she will make a statement on the matter. [37503/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I would like to inform the Deputy there are four agencies which are funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI); the Family Support Agency (FSA); the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) and the Ombudsman for Children's Office (OCO). 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. Apart from the Ombudsman for Children's Office which does not have a board, I am responsible for all board of management appointments.

There are currently no vacancies to be filled on the board for the Children Detention Schools. In relation to the National Educational Welfare Board there is currently one vacancy for an ordinary board member to be filled. For the board of the Adoption Authority of Ireland, there is currently one vacancy for an ordinary board member which remains to be filled. The board of the Family Support Agency currently has vacancies for eleven ordinary board members which also remain to be filled. I am currently in the process of making the necessary appointments to this board. Pending the legal establishment of the Child and Family Agency (CFA), the newly appointed board of the FSA will, in addition to its existing functions, provide oversight and direction to the organisational preparations which are underway for the CFA.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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1249. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide a list of the bodies, boards or committees under the remit of her 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 she will make a statement on the matter. [37518/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I would like to inform the Deputy there are four agencies which are funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI); the Family Support Agency (FSA); the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) and the Ombudsman for Children's Office (OCO). 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. Apart from the Ombudsman for Children's Office which does not have a board, I am responsible for all board of management appointments.

There are currently no vacancies on the board of management for the Children Detention Schools. There is currently one vacancy for an ordinary board member of the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB). I will consider whether it is appropriate to fill this vacancy in light of the proposal that the NEWB will be subsumed into the new Child and Family Agency (CFA) to be established in 2014 subject to the enactment of the proposed legislation.

In relation to the board for the Adoption Authority of Ireland, there is currently one vacancy for an ordinary board member and I anticipate that within the next six months this position will be filled.

There are currently eleven vacancies for ordinary board members on the Family Support Agency (FSA) board that remain to be filled. I am currently in the process of making the necessary appointments to this board. Pending the legal establishment of the CFA, the newly appointed board of the FSA will, in addition to its existing functions, provide oversight and direction to the organisational preparations which are underway for the CFA.