Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)
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94. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the average age of chairpersons and non-executive directors of State or partially owned State companies, State bodies, semi-State bodies and State agencies under the aegis of his Department on the State's payroll; the number of directors on the board of more than one such body; the number of women; and his plans to make savings from this area. [12550/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Age is not one of the selection criteria for appointment to a board of any of the twelve State Bodies under the aegis of my Department and therefore my Department has no information in this regard.

Of the total number of board members across the twelve State Bodies one member serves on the boards of both Teagasc and Bord Bia.

There are a total of nineteen female board members across the twelve State Bodies under the aegis of my Department.

Wherever and whenever possible I will, as a matter of course, reduce costs in the area of Board membership.

Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)
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95. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of chairpersons and non-executive directors of State or partially owned State companies, of State bodies, of Semi-State bodies and of State agencies under the aegis of his Department on the State's payroll; the total cost to the State from the payout to these non-executive directors including fees, travel and other expenditure; his plans to reduce the number of these chairpersons or directors. [12600/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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There are a total of one hundred and one chairpersons and non-executive directors on the boards of state bodies under my aegis.

The authorised fees to the chairpersons and board members are outlined in the attached table. If no board member waives their fee, the total cost to the state bodies would be €783,572. No fees are payable to serving public servants.

The travel and other expenditure is an operational matter for the state bodies themselves.

I do not have any plans to reduce the numbers of chairpersons or members.