Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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458. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the payments made to persons on the board of Ordnance Survey Ireland; the number of members; and the names of board members appointed directly to the board following a public application process. [4024/14]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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My Department has, in all instances, brought to the attention of each body the policy initiatives of the Department of Public Expenditure in relation to the payment of Board fees, and the payment of board members’ expenses is an operational matter for each State body. Details of fees paid are set out in the Annual Reports of Ordnance Survey Ireland.

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.

There are 10 members on the Board of Ordnance Survey Ireland and there are no vacancies on this Board at present. The list of board members is set out below. One of the Board Members was appointed following an expression of interest received.

The Government, on completion of a wide ranging review of State Bodies, published its decision on the rationalisation of such Bodies in November, 2012. In relation to my Department, this provided that Ordnance Survey Ireland will be merged with the Property Registration Office and the Valuation Office which will, in time, see it transfer to the Department of Justice and Equality.

*Expression of Interest received.