Written answers
Thursday, 17 July 2014
Department of Finance
Appointments to State Boards
Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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81. To ask the Minister for Finance 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. [32300/14]
Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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In response to the Deputy's question since March 2011 some 53 appointments or reappointments were made to boards of bodies under the aegis of my Department. With the exception of Fiscal Advisory Council and the reappointment of board members of Financial Services Ombudsman's Council vacancies on other boards under the aegis my Department were advertised on the Department's website.
Details of the number of appointments or reappointments made in the period since March 2011 are contained in a table:
| Name of Body | Number of appointments / re-appointments made since March 2011 | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Board of the National Development Finance Agency | 4 | 3 of the vacancies which were filled were advertised on the websites of the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Two members were appointed on the basis of Curriculum vitae and two were ex-officio appointments. |
| National Treasury Management Advisory Committee | 3 | It has been the norm to appoint the Secretary General of the Department of Finance to the Advisory Committee since the Establishment of the National Treasury Management Agency There was one reappointment to the Advisory Committee. The other position was advertised publically on the Department of Finance website. The position was not filled from the process. |
| State Claims Agency Policy Committee | 5 | Two members were appointed on the basis of Curriculum vitae. A notice requesting expressions of interest was published on the D/Finance and D/PER websites on 1 June 2012. There was one re-appointment. By convention, the Department of Health has had a representative on the State Claims Agency Policy Committee. There were two Department of Health appointments within the period; an initial appointment and a replacement following their retirement and resignation from the post. |
| National Pensions Reserve Fund | 2 | There were 2 re-appointments in the period |
| National Asset Management Agency | 5 | Expressions of interest were sought in 2012 for a panel of candidates to fill any upcoming vacancies on the Board. To date all appointments to the NAMA Board have been Ministerial appointments, no board members have been appointed from the expressions of interest sought in 2012. |
| Credit Union Restructuring Board (Rebo) | 13 (Inclusive of Chairman) | The Credit Union Restructuring Board (ReBo) comprises thirteen members in total, including six independent members. To identify suitable independent members the Department publicly advertised for expressions of interest on the Department of Finance and the Public Appointments Service websites. Nominations were also invited from credit union representative bodies, the Central Bank of Ireland and the Department of Finance. The Minister also appointed Mr Joe O'Toole to ReBo for continuity purposes as Mr O'Toole was a member of the Commission on Credit Unions. Six appointments were made from those who submitted a curriculum vitae including the appointment of the Chair. One person has recently resigned from the Board of ReBo, however, there are no plans to fill the vacancy at this time. |
| Fiscal Advisory Council | 5 | As Minister for Finance I announced the establishment of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council on a non-statutory basis on 7 July 2011. I appointed the Council members having regard to a number of criteria including the desirability of having a mix of appropriate backgrounds (academia, the financial sector/financial markets and public finance), macroeconomic/microeconomic expertise and a strong international dimension, as well as the need to take gender considerations into account. I am satisfied that the appointed members have the mix of skills and experience, including in relation to fiscal affairs, to ensure that the Council will be highly effective in fulfilling its mandate. The Fiscal Responsibility Act 2012 was brought into legislative effect on 27th November 2012. The Council commenced on a statutory basis from the 31st December 2012. The membership remain the same as above. |
| Financial Services Ombudsman's Council | 7 | Financial Services Ombudsman Council was reappointed for a 2 year term up to 28th October 2015 or until the merger of the Financial Services Ombudsman with the Pension Ombudsman has been completed, whichever is the sooner. In view of the short term of the Council and the amalgamation of the Offices of the Pension Ombudsman and the Financial Services Ombudsman which will require the experience of the existing Council to effect, these positions were not advertised. The appointment of an additional person with specific legal qualifications and experience was also required. |
| Irish Financial Services Appeals Tribunal | 7 | No vacancies have arisen other than in respect of Tribunal members coming to the end of their term of appointment as set out in legislation. All vacancies were advertised on Publicjobs.ie and the Department of Finance website. Three appointments were made as result of the publically advertised positions. |
| Central Bank Commission | 2 | There was one re-appointment in the period. The other position was filled from a public advertisement process, which included an advertisement on the Department of Finance website. |
Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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82. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of chairpersons appointed to State boards under the aegis of his Department since March 2011 that have appeared before the relevant joint Oireachtas committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32315/14]
Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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In response to the Deputy's question in 2011 the Government introduced new arrangements for the appointment of State Board members. Since March 2011, there has been 5 appointments of chairpersons to State boards under the aegis of my Department. While the proposed appointees are required to make themselves available to the appropriate Oireachtas Committee, the appointees listed in the table below did not appear before an Oireachtas Committee.
Chairpersons appointed since March 2011
| Name | Appointed | Board |
|---|---|---|
| Professor John McHale | 07 July 2012 | Irish Fiscal Advisory Council |
| Dr Noel Whelan | 01 July 2012 | State Claims Agency Policy Advisory Committee |
| Mr Bobby McVeigh | 10 September 2012 | Credit Union Restructuring Board (ReBo) |
| Mr Dermot Jewell | 17 October 2013 | Financial Services Ombudsman Committee |
| Mr Willie Walsh | 11 November 2013 | NTMA Advisory Committee |
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