Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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97. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the way the new guidelines on appointments to State bodies issued by his Department will prevent cronyism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47806/14]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Deputy will be aware that in September the Government agreed to introduce a new system for State Board Appointments. The Decision, building on the earlier 2011 Decision, required my Department to prepare Guidelines on a new process to be agreed by Government. In preparing the Guidelines the Department sought the views of all Departments, as well as meeting with interested parties and working closely with the Public Appointments Service.

The Guidelines were approved by Government in November and seek to provide good practice rules around the implementation of the Decision, which has at its core three key principles:

-promote wider access to opportunities on State Boards;

-put in place detailed and comprehensive criteria for those roles; and

-introduce transparent and rigorous assessment of candidates against these criteria.

The Guidelines clarify which positions on Boards they apply to and change the process around Ministerial appointments of individuals to State Boards.

The new arrangements provide for a robust selection system operated independently by the Public Appointments Service with selection being based on objective criteria. The new arrangements will ensure that candidates recommended for appointment have the skills and competencies required to carry out their duties on a State board. The Guidelines are very clear that in the end it is the responsibility of the relevant Minister to make appointments on the basis of the statutory authority provided in legislation approved by the Oireachtas.

Under the new system for appointments to State Boards, the specific requirements identified for board roles will be published as well as information illustrating the knowledge, skills, experience and expertise possessed by appointees conforming to those requirements. I am satisfied that this approach will demonstrate in each case the basis on which each board appointee was assessed to be qualified to successfully perform the relevant role.