Written answers
Wednesday, 15 January 2014
Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
Appointments to State Boards
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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430. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide in tabular form year on year the number of commercial and non-commercial State agency board positions, under the aegis of his Department that have been filled since March 2011 to December 2013; the number of these positions that were publically advertised; and the number of female appointments. [1370/14]
Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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The information sought by the Deputy in relation to the appointments in the State boards funded from my Department's Vote Group is set out in the following table. Appointments to the boards of Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster-Scots Agency are made by the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC), arising from nominations on a 50:50 basis from each jurisdiction. In the case of Údarás na Gaeltachta, five of the appointees are nominated by local authorities under the terms of the relevant legislation.
Appointments to boards of State bodies funded from my Department's Vote Group are made in accordance with the revised public appointment procedures approved by the Government. My Department seeks expressions of interest from the public by advertising on its website. Proposed appointees to the position of Chairperson are required to make themselves available to appear before the relevant Oireachtas Committee.
It may be noted that, as Minister, I am not bound by the list of applicants when making appointments and that I can also approach candidates who, in my view, may have a contribution to make and be willing to serve.
| State Board | Total number of places on the board | Number of board members appointed between March 2011 and December 2013 | Were these appointments subject to the public advertisement process? | Number of appointments drawn directly from the public advertisement process | No of female appointments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Museum of Ireland | 16 | 0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| National Concert Hall | 15 | 15 (inc Chair) | Yes | 12 | 9 |
| National Gallery of Ireland | 17 | 1 | N/A – the appointment was underway prior to the introduction of the public applications process. | N/A | 0 |
| National Archives Advisory Council | 12 | 6 | Yes – the process was adhered to but no applications were received following advertisement. | 0 | 4 |
| Irish Manuscripts Commission | 20 | 19 (inc Chair) | No – the commissioners were reappointed pro tem during the public service reform process. | N/A | 8 |
| Chester Beatty Library | 3 | 3 | Yes | 3 | 1 |
| Crawford Art Gallery | 16 | 8 (inc Chair) | 7 board members were reappointed pro tem during the public service reform process. There was one new appointment in November 2013. | 1 | 2 |
| Irish Film Board | 7 | 7 (inc Chair) | Yes | 5 | 3 |
| Arts Council | 13 | 5 | Yes | 3 | 1 |
| Censorship of Publications Board | 5 | 0 | Yes | None to date | N/A |
| Censorship of Publications Appeals Board | 5 | 0 | Yes | None to date | N/A |
| Heritage Council | 15-17 – in accordance with the Heritage Act, 1995, which states that the Council shall comprise of a Chairperson and not fewer than 14 or more than 16 ordinary members. | 7 (inc Chair) | Yes | 4 | 3 |
| Údarás na Gaeltachta | 12 | 12 (inc Chair) | Yes | 4 | 2 |
| Foras na Gaeilge | 16 | 16 | N/A – Appointments are made by the NSMC | N/A – Appointments are made by the NSMC | 4 |
| Ulster -Scots Agency | 8 | 8 | N/A – Appointments are made by the NSMC | N/A – Appointments are made by the NSMC | 4 |
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