Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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230. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the names and experience of those persons recently appointed to the board of management of Oberstown detention centre, County Dublin; the number of applicants for these positions via the stateboards.ie website; the criteria she used to determine eligibility for appointment; the number of applicants recommended for consideration by the Public Appointments Service; if the service recommended each member who was appointed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13975/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I have authority under section 164 of the Children Act 2001 to appoint the board of management for the Oberstown Children Detention Campus. I have recently appointed a new board with effect from 1 June 2016 on the basis of the statutory provisions of the Children Act 2001 and in addition, the 2014 Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards.

Section 167 of the Children Act 2001 contains a statutory requirement that the board include a chairperson and twelve other members, to include at least:

- one officer of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs;

- one employee of Tusla, nominated by the Minister for Health and Children;

- one officer of the Minister for Education and Science nominated by that Minister;

- two members of the staff of the children detention school or schools under the board’s management;

- and two representatives of persons living in the area of one or more than one of such schools.

Public expressions of interest via the stateboards.ie website were invited under the 2014 guidelines for state boards for the remaining five board positions on the basis of candidates having significant professional experience in human resource management, financial management, law or youth work. Fifty-five expressions of interest were received. An independent assessment panel convened by the Public Appointments Service reviewed the applications in February 2016 and submitted fifteen names for the consideration of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.

I have confirmed the appointment announced by my predecessor of Professor Ursula Kilkelly of the School of Law, University College Cork to the position of chairperson of the new Oberstown board. Professor Kilkelly was originally appointed to the Oberstown board by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in February 2012.

I have also made the following appointments:

- Mr Jim Gibson, Interim Chief Operations Officer in Tusla, who was recently nominated by the Minister for Health;

- Ms Fionnuala Anderson, Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board was nominated by Minister for Education and Skills in November 2015;

- Mr Fiachra Barrett and Ms Sinead O’Herlihy are both employees on the Oberstown campus and were identified for appointment to the board on foot of a local balloting process by Oberstown staff in December 2015;

- Mr Pat Rooney and Ms Elizabeth Howard are local residents in the vicinity of the Oberstown campus and were nominated by Lusk Community Council, a local community group in November 2015 for reappointment to the board;

- Mr Dan Kelleher is an officer in my Department and was reappointed to the Oberstown board;

- Mr Michael Farrell, Corporate Secretary, University College Cork;

- Mr Charles Irwin, Accountant to the Professional Development Service for Teachers, Dublin;

- Mr Diego Gallagher, solicitor with Byrne Wallace Solicitors, Dublin (who was reappointed from the previous board);

- Ms Emer Woodfull, Barrister at Law, Dublin;

- and Ms Fiona Murphy, Service Coordinator, Extern, Dublin. Extern is a charitable organization which provides services to children assessed as being high risk requiring intensive community based support.

Mr Farrell, Mr Irwin, Mr Gallagher, Ms Woodfull and Ms Murphy were appointed on foot of the stateboards.ie process.

I look forward to working with the new board to ensure continued safe and secure custody for children and a safe working environment for staff on the Oberstown campus.