Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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78. To ask the Taoiseach the number of appointments to State boards since March 2011 under the aegis of his Department; the number of appointments that have been advertised on his Department’s website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46074/15]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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79. To ask the Taoiseach the number of chairpersons appointed to State boards under the aegis of his Department since March 2011 that have appeared before the relevant joint Oireachtas committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46075/15]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 79 together.

I make appointments to the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) and the National Statistics Board (NSB).

Since coming into office on 9 March 2011, I have made 18 appointments to the NESC in accordance with the National Economic and Social Development Office Act 2006 and S.I. No. 603 of 2010, National Economic and Social Council (Alteration of Composition) Order 2010.

- The legislation requires that the majority of members are appointed specifically on the basis of nominations from business and employer interests, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, farming and agricultural interests, the community and voluntary sector and the environmental sector.

- The legislation also provides for the appointment of six public servants in an ex-officio capacity; one representing the Taoiseach, one representing the Minister for Finance and the remainder representing relevant Departments to ensure NESC's work is integrated with Government policy-making.

- I also appointed eight independent members to the NESC in 2011, in most cases from the academic sector. These appointments were made following careful consideration of the necessary skills, knowledge and expertise relevant to the functions of the Council as required by the legislation.

These positions were not advertised on the Department’s website. In line with the Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards and where appropriate and consistent with the legislation, future appointments will be advertised on Stateboards.ie.

I appointed the Secretary General of my Department as Chairman of the NESC on 1 August 2011 in an ex-officio capacity.

Section 18 of the Statistics Act 1993 provides for the composition of and appointments to the National Statistics Board (NSB). It provides that the NSB shall consist of eight members comprising the following seven persons who shall be appointed by the Taoiseach:

- five persons of proven ability and experience in relevant fields - two of whom shall be nominated by the Taoiseach and three of whom shall be nominated by such organisation or organisations as the Taoiseach considers to be representative of the users of official statistics and providers of information under this Act

- Assistant Secretary or equivalent or higher grade in the Department of the Taoiseach

- Assistant Secretary or equivalent or higher grade in the Department of Finance

- together with the Director General, ex officio.

The Chairperson is appointed by the Taoiseach from among the members of the Board.

My functions in relation to the NSB were delegated to the Government Chief Whip, Minister of State Paul Kehoe T.D., on the 22 March 2011. There have been nine appointments to the NSB since March 2011.

In 2012 an Assistant Secretary from my Department was appointed to the board to fill a vacancy in line with Section 18 of the Act.

The term of membership of the previous board expired in 2013. The Chair and Civil Servants on the Board were reappointed for a new term of three years. The Chair of the NSB has not appeared before an Oireachtas Committee and has not been asked to do so. Expressions of interest were invited for the four remaining positions on the NSB. These positions were advertised on the websites of the Department of the Taoiseach and the National Statistics Board. In March 2014 Minister of State Kehoe appointed four persons from among the expressions of interest received.

Also in 2014, an Assistant Secretary from the Department of Finance was appointed to replace an Assistant Secretary from that Department on the NSB.