Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

232. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport 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. [50020/13]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I announced new procedures for appointment to boards on Friday 8th April 2011 and all appointments from that date have followed these procedures. They include an open invitation for expressions of  interest in serving on the board of any of the agencies under the remit of my Department.  This invitation was renewed on 31 January 2013.

Details of all appointments and vacancies are published on  and I currently have a database of more than 500 individuals who have expressed interest. However, given the importance of ensuing the right mix of skills and experience on every board, appointments are not necessarily confined to those who have made such an expression.

I have made 120 new appointments to State boards (excluding the re-appointment of members already serving, CEOs, employee representatives and those made by the North/South Ministerial Council). Of these 120 appointments, some 66 (or 55%) had submitted expressions of interest, with the remainder headhunted for specific skills.  In every case where expressions of interest are concerned, I give close consideration to individuals who I consider appropriate to promoting good governance at board level, and with experience or qualifications in finance (including audit capability and/or project assessment)law, corporate governance, marketing, IT, or with experience relevant to the transport, tourism and sports sectors.