Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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40. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on whether all senior appointments to taxpayer-funded positions in the public service under the remit of his Department, including appointment to State boards, should be publicly advertised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3197/14]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is the independent body designated under the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004 to provide shared service recruitment to the public service and is responsible for the running and advertising of competitions on behalf of the Department including for Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) positions. Special Advisers to Ministers and Ministers of State are appointed by the Government, at the request of a Minister of the Government having charge of a Department, in line with Section 11 of the Public Services Management Act 1997.

There are no State Agencies under the aegis of my Department and, accordingly, the question of appointments to taxpayer funded positions on State Boards does not arise. However, there are a number of ad hoc informal advisory bodies who work with my Department in relation to matters such as Emigrant Services, the Global Irish Network, Human Rights, Holocaust education and gender equality. All persons serving on these groups do so in a voluntary, non-remunerated capacity. There is only one body for which the members receive an allowance (€2000 per annum) and it is the Irish Aid Expert Advisory Group, whose members are selected by the Tánaiste on the basis of relevant expertise and availability.