Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1611. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when he will fill the vacancies on the boards of Irish Rail, Bus Éireann, the National Transport Authority, the Road Safety Authority and Fáilte Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38611/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Appointments to State Boards under the aegis of my Department are made in line with both the Government Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards and my Departments Principles and Procedures for State Board Appointments both of which are available to view on my Departments website through the following link: . Information regarding current board membership can also be found on the Department’s website through this link.

In relation to CIÉ, Irish Rail and the National Transport Authority, the filling of existing Chair level vacancies is being arranged in line with the Guidelines and Principles and Procedures above.

In relation to the current Chair vacancy at Bus Éireann and impending Chair vacancy at Bus Átha Cliath, those vacancies have been considered in line with the Guidelines and Principles and Procedures and those processes will be finalised very shortly with announcements to follow.

In relation to the Road Safety Authority and Fáilte Ireland my Department are again working in line with the Guidelines and Principles and Procedures to finalise campaigns to fill these vacancies.

As Minister I do not necessarily have to fill all of the vacancies on each Board and I am currently considering the size of boards under my remit and the need or otherwise to fill each vacancy. In my view some of the Boards are unnecessarily large for the size of the State Body in question and it is something that I am reviewing within the flexibility of the underlying statutory provisions.