Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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229. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the role his Department has in selecting members of the Marine Casualty Investigations Board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30241/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Section 9 of the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Casualties) Act, 2000 provides for the composition of the Marine Casualty Investigation Board.  The Board consists of three persons (including the chairperson) appointed by the Minister; the Chief Surveyor of the Marine Survey Office; and the Secretary-General of my Department or his nominee.  The Board has a panel of independent investigators who carry out the investigations on its behalf.

Appointments made by me as Minister are made in accordance with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) Guidelines on State Board Appointments, introduced in 2014.  In effect, under this process the Public Appointments Service advertises vacancies on State boards on the portal stateboards.ie; invites applications; and shortlists candidates for recommendation to the Minister.  A key part of the process is the determination of detailed criteria by the Chair and Board of the MCIB, and my Department, for the effective performance of the role.

In February 2017, I introduced additional Principles and Procedures for State Boards to be applied by my Department alongside the DPER Guidelines, including an additional internal selection process to be undertaken following the receipt of shortlisted candidates from PAS.

I appointed two new members to the Board on 1st April this year, and my Department was involved in preparing material for the PAS process, in the shortlisting procedure, in meeting the shortlisted candidates and in making a final recommendation to me.