Written answers
Thursday, 16 July 2015
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Appointments to State Boards
Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Independent)
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321. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is responsible for all board appointments where such power to appoint persons to State boards is vested in him by statute; if any politically appointed State employee outside of his Department is involved in decision making concerning such appointments, in particular, if, during the lifetime of the Government, a named person (details supplied) has had any influence over any appointments made by him; if he or officials from his Department have corresponded with that person regarding the composition of, and appointments to, State boards to which he has statutory power to make appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30103/15]
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I appoint the members to the boards of State Bodies under the aegis of my Department. In the case of the Aquaculture Licensing Appeals Board, Bord Bia, Teagasc, National Milk Agency, Veterinary Council of Ireland and Horse Racing Ireland board appointments, while made by me, are not all at my sole discretion in that individuals are nominated for appointment by me as specified in the relevant statute.
Building on the Government’s Decision of 2011 which established an open process operated by the Public Appointment Service, a revised model for Ministerial appointments to State Boards is now in operation. It requires that all appointments to vacancies on State Boards must:
-be advertised openly on the State Boards portal operated by the Public Appointments Service (PAS)
-meet specific and detailed criteria determined by the relevant Minister in consultation with the Chair of the Board, as necessary for the effective performance of the relevant role; and
-be processed by way of a transparent assessment system designed and implemented by the independent Public Appointments Service (PAS) to support the relevant Minister in making appointments to State Boards under his/her remit.
In all cases I as Minister make the relevant appointments and, where necessary, bring nominations to Government for approval. Any correspondence with the individual named is in that context.
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