Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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136. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will outline in tabular form the number of appointments to State boards under his Department's remit made since March 2011 to date in 2013; the number of vacancies in State boards under his Department's remit since March 2011 to date in 2013; the number of vacancies State boards under his Department's remit publically advertised since March 2011 to date in 2013; and the number of appointments to State boards under his remit drawn directly from the public advertisement process. [50009/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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This Government has made changes in relation to appointments to State Boards and bodies with new arrangements involving advertisement of vacancies for applications from suitably qualified candidates and, in accordance with the government Decision of 12 April 2011, I have, each year, on my Department's website, invited Expressions of Interest from persons wishing to be considered for appointment to vacancies on State Boards under the aegis of my Department. This information has been used to inform decisions for appointments to State Boards.Such invitations are designed to extend the range of suitable persons from which a Minister might make appointments – not to constrain that range. In 2011 there were 31 applications received following the advertisement for Expressions of Interest from which 3 appointments were made. In 2012 there were 37 applications received following the advertisement for Expressions of Interest from which 5 appointments were made. In 2013 there have been 103 applications received to date following the advertisement for Expressions of Interest from which 4 appointments were made. There are currently 15 vacancies on State Boards under the aegis of my Department. Six of these vacancies are on the Board of the Digital Hub Development Agency and, in light of the proposed merger of that agency with Dublin City Council, it is not proposed to make further appointments at this time.

There have been 87 appointments made to State Boards under the aegis of my Department in the period March 2011 to date. The table below details all appointments to State Boards which have been filled since 9 March 2011 to date, including the appointments made from the Expressions of Interest received, taking into consideration qualifications and legislative requirements where applicable. It should also be noted that about one third of the appointments made were either ex-officio appointments, reappointments, the appointment of worker directors chosen by election, or appointments made from nominations made by an Oireachtas Committee.

Appointments made to State Boards under the aegis of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources from 9 March 2011 to date.