Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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334. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation 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. [23588/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Since coming to Office in March 2011, I have made 46 appointments within my discretion to the Boards of Agencies under my Department’s remit. A further 29 appointments were re-appointments and a further 45 were allocated under legislation to social partners, nominees of prescribed bodies and appointments on an Ex Officio basis and were not appropriate, therefore, for public advertisement. Of the 46 appointments made within my discretion, 30 submitted expressions of interest. The gender balance was 25 male and 21 female (54.3% and 45.7%). In respect of appointments that are wholly within my discretion, my overriding priority has been to appoint the best people available for particular board positions.The credentials of the appointees vary depending on the requirements of the individual posts. I am satisfied however that in all cases, they have the skills and expertise to allow them to contribute positively to the functions of their individual board.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Government decided on 30 September 2014 that all appointments (with some limited exceptions) are to be advertised in the State Boards portal, stateboards.ie,operated by the Public Appointments Service (PAS).

Appointees must meet specific and detailed criteria determined by the relevant Minister as necessary for the effective performance of the relevant role(s) and are processed by way of a transparent assessment system designed and implemented by PAS to support the relevant Minister in making appointments to State Boards under his/her remit.

Details of the composition of the boards of all agencies within my Department’s remit are available through stateboards.ie.