Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

29. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to consider reserving a place on the board of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland for a non-governmental organisation with a track record of environmental campaigning in the area of sustainability and climate change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21595/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The composition of the Board of SEAI is provided for by section 10 of the Sustainable Energy Act 2002. The legislation makes particular provision as to the competence of persons to be appointed to the Board of SEAI and provides that appointees must have experience or competence in areas specifically related to the functions of SEAI. Amongst the competencies listed at Section 10.(3) of the Act is "environmental matters".  I believe that the legislation as drafted adequately provides for appropriate representation on the Board to enable the remit of SEAI to be met. The Deputy will be aware that the process for appointments to State boards has been strengthened with the introduction of Guidelines for Appointments to State Boards published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in November 2014. The objective of the Guidelines is to open up the process to the largest possible pool of suitable candidates. The Guidelines establish a new and transparent approach to Board appointments which is operated by the Public Appointments Service and ensures that a sufficient list of suitably qualified candidates is available to the appointing Minister for consideration. Under the system it is open to representatives from Non-Government Organisations with a track record of environmental campaigning in the area of sustainability and climate change to apply for a position on the Board of SEAI or indeed any other State Board provided there are no other statutory restrictions applying.

In order to address concerns in relation to the continuity of membership on the Board of SEAI, section 22 of the Energy Bill 2016, which is currently before the House, provides for an amendment to section 10 of the Sustainable Energy Act 2002. The amendment proposes to remove the requirement that each year on 1 May the three longest serving members of the Board must retire. Instead, board members would be appointed for a period up to 5 years, subject to a maximum of ten years’ service.  I believe that the amendment will improve continuity of membership and give greater certainty to board members in relation to the duration of their appointment.