Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

109. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when all existing vacancies on the board of the Irish Greyhound Board will be filled; if all vacancies were advertised publically; if all proposed appointees will appear before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine for the purpose of having their appointments vetted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22874/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Bord na gCon is a commercial State body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958, charged with the regulation and development of the greyhound racing industry.

From 1^stNovember 2014 all appointments to State Boards are made through the Public Appointments Service. At present there are four vacancies on the Board of Bord na gCon. My Department and the Board are currently working on role specifications for these posts and when the final specification is agreed, details will be published on the Public Appointments Service website stateboards.ie seeking expressions of interest for the roles. Only the Chairperson of a Board who is being proposed for appointment is required to make themselves available to the appropriate Oireachtas Committee.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

110. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if and when the chairperson of the Irish Greyhound Board will appear before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22875/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I appointed Mr. Phil Meaney as chairman of Bord na gCon in April 2011.

As the Deputy is aware it is Government policy in the case of those being proposed for appointment as chairpersons of state boards, that such persons will be required to make themselves available to the appropriate Oireachtas committee to discuss the approach which they intend to take to their role as chairperson and their views about the future contribution of the body or board in question.

In September 2011 Mr. Meaney made himself available to go before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and Marine for the purposes outlined above but the Committee opted not to meet with Mr. Meaney. This was clarified in a letter to my Department on 3 October 2012 when the Joint Committee advised that they did not require to meet the chairpersons to state boards who had already been appointed by the Minister prior to that date. However, Mr. Meaney has appeared on two occasions in 2014 before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine on issues relating to Bord na gCon.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

111. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his view on the recommendation in the Indecon report that a person with legal expertise be appointed to the board of the Irish Greyhound Board; his plans to make such an appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22876/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

From 1^stNovember 2014 all appointments to State Boards are made through the Public Appointments Service. At present there are four vacancies on the Board of Bord na gCon. My Department and the Board are currently working on role specifications for these posts taking into account the recommendation in the Indecon Report that skill sets of the Board should be enhanced in the legal, marketing and finance areas. When the final specifications are agreed, details will be published on Public Appointments Service website stateboards.ie seeking expressions of interest for the roles.

Regarding the requirement for legal skills I have already appointed a person to the Board with such expertise.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

112. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of the recommendation in the Indecon report that members of the board of the Irish Greyhound Board should not also be board members of subsidiary companies of the Irish Greyhound Board, the reason this recommendation has been given until 2016 to be complied with; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22877/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Following the publication of the Indecon Report in July 2014, Bord na gCon submitted an action plan with timelines for implementing the 27 recommendations in the Indecon Report dealing with governance, finance, regulation and welfare.

Bord na gCon has assured my Department that it has assiduously followed up on the undertakings included in its response to the Indecon Report.

As part of complying with the Companies Act 2014 which commenced on 1 June 2015 Bord na gCon have informed me that they intend to re-structure their subsidiaries. This process will be completed by early 2016. During this process the recommendation in the Indecon Report that members of the Board of the Irish Greyhound Board should not also be Board members of IGB subsidiary companies will be addressed.