Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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318. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if certification will be required in the event that a successful candidate does not have a high degree of competence in Irish with regard to positions advertised through the Public Appointments Service for CEOs of Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board, Cork Education and Training Board and Tipperary Education and Training Board; the certification which will be required; if a deadline for completion of this certification will be enforced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45153/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are statutory bodies with their own corporate status established under the Education and Training Boards Act 2013, and are responsible for a range of reserved and executive functions under that Act.

The Chief Executive is responsible for performing the executive functions of the board and is accountable to the board for the due performance of his or her functions. The Chief Executive is responsible for ensuring the ETB achieves its strategic aims and objectives including the provision, in an efficient and effective manner, of the many and diverse services and activities of the ETB in accordance with best practices and is accountable to the board and also to the Public Accounts Committee and to other Oireachtas Committees;

Candidates for the role of Chief Executive must be able to demonstrate the following competencies:

- strategic leadership of, or a significant strategic contribution to, a business or organisation in one or more of the following sectors – Primary, Secondary, Further Education and Training or Third level education - significant experience of governance, administration and financial management - significant organisational change management experience at both strategic and operational levels - experience of building, leading, motivating and developing successful teams - well-developed networks within the education, training and skills environment and/or across Government or the wider public sector - experience of embedding the principles of equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusiveness within the policies and practices of an organisation

In order to ensure that suitability qualified candidates are available for role of the Chief Executive, they must be in a position to demonstrate the above competencies. The Chief Executive may also have to conduct some of his/her business through the medium of Irish so a high degree of Irish is desirable but not essential.

It will ultimately be a matter for the Public Appointment Services to determine the most suitably qualified person(s) based on the criteria outlined.