Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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211. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide a list of all State board appointments since general election 2011; the person who recommended each appointment; the credentials of those appointed; if the vacancy was publicly advertised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39283/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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There have been 494 appointments to Boards under the aegis of the Department of Health since March 2011 to date. Of these, 159 appointments have been made on the nomination of bodies specified in legislation. The Minister for Health has no function in these nominations other than the actual appointments.

335 appointments have been made where the Minister for Health has nominating rights, and 116 of these have been appointed following public advertising campaigns.

The competencies and skills required for individual Boards, where the Minister for Health has nominating rights, are agreed between the relevant Line Units in my Department and the Agency itself. These competencies and skills can vary greatly between Boards and within individual Boards. I am confident that the appointments made to agencies under the aegis of this Department have the requisite skills and expertise to contribute in a meaningful way to the important work undertaken by the Agencies.

Information on the individual names of appointments to Boards (where the Minister for Health has nominating rights) and whether they were appointed following an advertising process is being collated and will be sent directly to the Deputy when finalised.