Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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480. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the total number of appointments to State boards since March 2011 under the aegis of his Department; the total number of appointments that have been advertised on his Department’s website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32299/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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In the period of the Government’s term of office up to 11 July 2014, the latest date for which information is available, the appointments set out in the following Table were made to the Boards of State Bodies under the aegis of my Department.

* Appointments to An Bord Pleanála and to the Board of the Environmental Protection Agency are of a full-time executive nature and are governed by statutory processes.

** The board of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority was reappointed for an additional month from 1 May 2012 and replaced by a new board from 1 June 2012 which will continue in place until 31 December 2014.

*** Appointments of the Local Authority Chief Executive members of the Boards of the Local Government Computer Services Board, the Local Government Management Services Board and the Local Government Management Agency (which was established on 1August 2012, replacing the LGCSB and the LGMSB), are made by the County and City Chief Executives collectively.

The Public Appointments Service operates a new portal which offers a single dedicated point of contact to all government Departments, as a support to the existing State board appointment procedures. This service provides a mechanism for Departments to advertise board vacancies and it gives prospective candidates an opportunity to register their general interest in a position on a state Board and to be alerted to upcoming vacancies.

Since July 2011, my Department has sought expressions of interest through its website, from suitably qualified and experienced persons, for consideration as members or chairpersons of the boards of State bodies under my Department’s aegis. Expressions of interest can be made at any time and will be kept on file in my Department for consideration as vacancies occur. In considering applications, due regard is had to the requirements of the position, the qualifications, experience and expertise of applicants and Government policy regarding gender balance on State boards.

All appointments are made in accordance with the appropriate legislation governing appointments to each body. In some cases statutory selection procedures must be followed or nominations must be sought from independent nominating panels before appointments are made by the Minister or the Government, as appropriate. In a number of situations, only some appointments to the body concerned are made by the Minister, or appointments are made with the consent of another Minister.

The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as a subsidiary of Bord Gáis Éireann (BGE) under the Companies Acts. The Memorandum and Articles of Association, provide that the appointment of directors is the responsibility of the Board of BGE, with the approval of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. 12 directors were appointed initially for the period to July 2014, one of whom has since resigned. The remaining 11 directors have been re-appointed for a further 6 month period to 30 November 2014.

The following have been appointed to the Board of Irish Water:

In addition, although not a State Board in the traditional sense, appointments to the Board of Pobal, a not-for-profit company, fall to be made by the Government having considered nominees from a range of stakeholders. The following are the appointments to the Board of Pobal that have taken effect during this Government’s term:

The following members were appointed to the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee;

- Dr Eoin O'Sullivan (Chairperson)

- Mr. Conor Smith

- Mr. Séamus O'Connor

- Ms. Ronnie Fay

- Mr. Eugene Cummins

- Ms. Philomena Poole

- Cllr. Finnan McCoy

- Cllr. John Kennedy

- Ms. Catherine Linehan

- Mr. Tom Coughlan

- Ms. Colette Spears

- Mr. Jim Ganley (Departmental representative)

- Ms. Mary Connors

The following members were appointed to the Building Regulations Advisory Body:

The following members were appointed on 10 January 2014 to the Pyrite Resolution Board established under the Pyrite Resolution Act 2013:

- Mr. John O’Connor (Chair)

- Mr. Sean Balfe

- Mr. Matt Gallagher

- Ms. Caroline Gill

Finally, the following have been appointed to the new National Oversight and Audit Commission for local government:

- Pat McLoughlin (Chairperson)

- Kevin Baneham BL

- Tara Buckley

- John Buckley

- Donal Enright

- Garett Fennell

- Constance Hanniffy

- Cllr Padraig McNally

- Martina Moloney

- Michael Nolan

- Colleen Savage

- Henry Upton

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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481. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of chairpersons appointed to State boards under the aegis of his Department since March 2011 who have appeared before the relevant joint Oireachtas committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32314/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Since March 2011 the Chairpersons (or equivalents) of the following Boards have met the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht:.

Dr. Mary Kelly, An Bord Pleanála

Ms. Laura Burke, Environmental Protection Agency

Dr. Michelle Norris, Housing Finance Agency

Mr. Conor Skehan, Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency

Ms. Breda Collins, Irish water Safety

Ms. Catriona Walsh, Private Residential Tenancies Board

Prof. William Reville, Radiological Protection Institute Ireland

Mr. Paddy McGuinness, Western Development Commission

In addition the Committee have been notified of the recent appointment of Mr. Pat Gallagher, Chair of the Local Government Management Agency.