Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

693. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form the number of appointments to State boards under his Department's remit made from March 2011 to date; the number of vacancies on State boards under his Department's remit from March 2011 to date; the number of vacancies on State boards under his Department's remit publically advertised from March 2011 to date; and the number of appointments to State boards under his remit drawn directly from the public advertisement process. [29193/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The nomination and appointment process for boards of bodies under the aegis of the Department of Health is set out in legislation. In line with Government Decision S180/20/10/1424 of 2011, relating to the advertising for expressions of interest in vacancies on State Boards, my Department currently advertises for board vacancies as they arise, where I, as Minister for Health, have nominating rights under relevant legislation. I also appoint members on the nomination of various bodies, again in accordance with the relevant legislation. There were some exceptions to the advertising process in 2012 and 2013. In 2012, the members of the Hepatitis C Compensation Tribunal were appointed by me, on the advice of the Attorney General, as these members carry out a very specific role in relation to assessing the quantum of awards under the Hepatitis C Compensation Tribunal Act. Another exception was in the case of some hospital boards, e.g. Beaumont and St James’s, where the term of existing members was extended as a prudent provisional measure, to allow time for appropriate competencies required in members of these boards to be set out, given the Health Reform Programme and its impact on hospital configuration. Appointments of the new board members were subsequently advertised.

In 2012 existing board members of the National Paediatric Hospital Board were re-appointed for a 3 month period to allow time to consider the competencies required by board members into the future. In January 2013 four Departmental officials and two HSE nominated officials were appointed for a number of months for the same reason. In July 2013, I appointed the Chairperson and 3 other members for which I had nominating rights.

The table sets out the number of appointments to State Boards under the remit of my Department, where I have nominating rights, and on the nomination of other bodies since March 2011 to 2014 (to date), including the number that were publicly advertised and the number of appointments drawn directly from the advertising process. It should be noted that there were no advertising campaigns in 2011, but 34 appointments were made where I as Minister have nominating rights.