Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

105. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in view of the controversy surrounding appointments to State boards if she will publish the responses received from the national cultural institutions regarding her request for them to draw up a required skillsets for persons that would sit on their boards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46856/14]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Government recently agreed on a Revised Model for Ministerial Appointments to State Boards, which complements the existing system with a more structured approach to ensure that vacancies on State Boards are populated in a transparent way by the high-calibre personnel required to successfully perform their mandates. Guidelines in this regard have just been published by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and I am now working to implement this revised model in my Department..

In that context, and in order to ensure that the boards of our national cultural institutions possess a suitable mix of skills to address the numerous challenges that they face, I am working with the Chairs of the institutions and the Public Appointments Service (PAS) to develop appropriate criteria for the filling of vacancies on these boards, as they arise. This process will take account of such issues as

(i) specialist skills and technical knowledge required;

(ii) relevant experience/sectoral expertise;

(iii) educational and other qualifications;

(iv) particular personal attributes; and

(v) the range of skills of existing board members

I have written already to the Chairs of the national cultural institutions asking them to set out the skill sets that they consider relevant for people who might sit on their boards. When I have received their views, I will consider the matter further in conjunction with PAS with a view to developing the criteria for assessing candidates to fill vacancies on the various boards, as they arise. I anticipate that the skill sets will be published in due course by PAS in the context of inviting candidates to apply for particular vacancies.