Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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613. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide in respect of State boards under his Department's remit the number of appointments to State boards; the number of vacancies in State boards ; the number of vacancies in State boards publicly advertised; and the number of appointments to State boards drawn directly from the public advertisement process, in the period March 2011 to 2015 to date. [23587/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The nomination and appointment process for boards of bodies under the aegis of the Department of Health is set out in legislation. In line with Government Decision S180/20/10/1617 of 2014, relating to the advertising for expressions of interest in vacancies on State Boards, and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Guidelines, my Department in conjunction with the new Public Appointments Service website portal, Stateboards.ie, currently advertises for board vacancies as they arise, where I, as Minister for Health, have nominating rights under relevant legislation. In a number of cases the Minister for Health may decide to re-appoint a board member for a second term, which is in keeping with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's Guidelines. I also appoint members on the nomination of various bodies in accordance with the relevant legislation. I have no function in these nominations other than the actual appointments.

There have been 586 appointments to Boards under the aegis of the Department of Health since March 2011 to date. Of these, 184 appointments have been made on the nomination of bodies specified in legislation. 402 appointments, therefore, have been made where the Minister for Health has nominating rights, and 169 of these have been appointed following public advertising campaigns.

Since March 2011, there have been 328 positions advertised. It should be noted that there were no advertising campaigns in 2011, but 34 appointments were made where the Minister had nominating rights.

Since the development by PAS of an enhanced process in January this year, with the involvement of Board chairs, my Department and PAS officials in setting out the specific skills and competencies required to fill vacant board positions, it is much easier for me to select my nominee from the list of persons emerging from that process.