Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The information requested in relation to appointments to State boards under the aegis of the Department, which have been made from March 2011 to date, is outlined in the table.

The Deputy should note that board appointments are not in all cases made at my sole discretion as individuals may be nominated for appointment by various organisations as specified in the relevant statute of the body concerned.

Name of Board	Number of appointments made to state boards since 2011	Number of positions advertised over which the Minister can directly appoint [Note 1]	Appointments made from members of the public who applied through the PAS process	Year appointments made	Year appointments made	Year appointments made	Year appointments made
				2011	2012	2013	2014
An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG)	2	0	0		2
An Foras Áiseanna Saothair (FÁS)	3 [Note 2]	0	0	1		2
Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA)	17	7	3		15		2
Higher Education Authority (HEA)	15	11	2	1	10	1	3
Irish Research Council	14	0	0		14
Léargas	12	9	0		10	2
National Centre for Guidance in Education (NCGE)	12	1	0		12
National Council for Curriculum & Assessment (NCCA)	26 [Note 3]	3	2		25	1
National Council for Special Education (NCSE)	15	13	2	2 [Note 4]		14	1
Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)	11	8	3		10		1
Skillnets Ltd	4	0	0	3	1
State Examinations Commission (SEC)	5	5	2		5
Teaching Council	39	3	0		37	2
An tSeirbhís Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna (SOLAS)	13	9	8			13
Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (RISF)	12 [Note 5]	9	5[Note 6]			10	2
Residential Institution Redress Board (RIRB)			See [Note 6]
Residential Institution Review Committee (RIRC			See [Note 6]
Education Finance Board (EFB)			See[Note 6]

Note 1: Appointments, while made by the Minister, are not in all cases made at his/her sole discretion. Individuals may be nominated for appointment by various organisations as specified in the relevant statute of the body concerned.

Note 2: Two interim appointments were made to the Board of Foras Áiseanna Saothair (FÁS) in January 2013 pending the dissolution of the body in October 2013.  Accordingly, these vacancies were not published on PAS. Appointments to the Board of FÁS were made following consultation with the Minister for Social Protection and the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.

Note 3: The 25 member NCCA was appointed in 2012 with one resignee being replaced in November 2013.

Note 4: Reappointed in January 2013.

Note 5: In addition to the appointment of persons who applied to PAS, a further three appointees applied directly to the Department. Following the resignation of two appointees in 2013, the consequential vacancies were filled by persons who had submitted expressions of interest to PAS (one vacancy was filled in 2013, the other in 2014).  An appointee who had not submitted an expression of Interest to PAS resigned in 2014 and was replaced by a person who had not submitted an expression of interest to PAS.

Note 6: The existing members* of the Residential Institutions Redress Board (RIRB) and the Residential Institutions Review Committee (RIRC) have held office from at least 2008 and were most recently re-appointed earlier this year until 31st December 2014 or until such time as the bodies have completed their work, whichever is the sooner. The final membership of the Education Finance Board (EFB) were appointed in February 2012 for a one year term or until the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (RISF) was established whichever was the earlier.  The RISF was established and the EFB dissolved in March 2013. The 9 member Board consisted of a Chairperson, four former residents of institutions and four ordinary members.  The views of survivor groups and other interested parties were sought on appointments of former resident members of the Board.  

*apart from the Chair of the RIRB who was appointed in 2008 until such time as the Board completes its functions.