Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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272. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the process of nominating members apart from local authority nominees to education and training boards; if membership of such boards varies; if so, the composition of the Cavan and Monaghan ETB, the Louth and Meath ETB, and the Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim ETB; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30046/19]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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Section 30 of the Education and Training Board Act 2013 sets out the arrangements for the composition of each board of Education and Training Board, the composition of which is as follows:

- 12 members selected by the relevant local authority;

- 2 members elected by ETB staff;

- 2 members appointed by the ETB from nominees of National Parents Council(s);

- 5 members appointed by the ETB from bodies specified by the Minister which have a special interest in, or knowledge of education.

On 2nd July last, I specified a range of bodies as having the right to nominate persons for appointment to Education and Training Boards.

All boards must be constituted in accordance with Section 30 of the Education and Training Board Act 2013.

Section 31 of the Education and Training Boards Act 2013 deals with the appointment and term of office of members of education and training boards.

The Timetable around when meetings of the new ETB boards should be held post-election is as follows:

- Within 6 weeks of the Local Authority elections, each Local Authority must elect its nomination to each ETB.  Following the 2019 local elections, this deadline fell on 4th July 2019; 

- The date of each ETBs first meeting after the local elections shall be at least 2 months and not more than 3 months after the date of the local elections concerned (i.e. between the 24th July 2019 & 24th August 2019). This meeting is known as the “post-election meeting”;

- At the “post-election meeting”, the only members present should be the Local Authority (LA) members and the Staff members;

- The only business that should be conducted at the post-election meeting is to appoint the Parent Nominees and to set the date of the next meeting (i.e. second meeting);

- At the second meeting, the only members present should be the LA members, Staff members and Parent members;

- The only business that should be conducted at the second meeting is to appoint the 5 members from Bodies specified by the Minister which have a special interest in, or knowledge of education and to set the date of the next meeting (i.e. third meeting). At this stage the full composition of the new ETB will have been decided;

- The third Meeting will be business as usual 

In relation to selecting the 5 members from Bodies specified by the Minister;

- at least one of whom shall be from a body representative of business, industry and employers,

- at least one of whom shall be a body representative of learners, and

- at least one of whom shall be a body established for the purpose of representing the interests of persons engaged in the management of, or leadership in, recognised schools,

- the remaining two representatives can be from any of the bodies on the specified list.

- In addition, the members appointed shall reside within the functional area of the education and training board and shall include at least 2 men and at least 2 women.

My Department would not be aware when the dates of when the Board Meetings of ETBs take place as it is a matter for each ETB to determine the dates of such meetings in accordance with the timeline outlined above.

The full composition of the Education and Training Boards referred to by the Deputy will not be known until after the second meeting of the new ETB boards has taken place.

As at 2 July 2019, the bodies specified by the Minister as eligible to make nominations to education and training boards are as follows.

Bodies representative of business, industry and employers:

- Accounting Technicians Ireland

- Chambers Ireland

- Freight Transport Association Ireland

- Horse Racing Ireland

- Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers (IPAV)

- Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation (IBEC)

- Irish Hospitality Institute in co-operation with the Restaurants Association of Ireland

- Irish Hotel Federation

- Irish Road Haulage Association

- Nursing Homes Ireland

- The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI)

- Údarás na Gaeltachta

Bodies representative of Learners:

- AONTAS (National Adult Learning Organisation)

- Conradh na Gaeilge

- Disability Federation of Ireland in co-operation with AHEAD

- Down Syndrome Ireland

- Immigrant Council of Ireland

- National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA)

- National Youth Council of Ireland

- REHAB

- Technological Higher Education Association (THEA)

- Union of Students in Ireland [USI]

- Youth Work Ireland

Bodies representative of persons engaged in the management of, or leadership in, recognised schools:

- Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools

- Joint Managerial Body

- National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals

Bodies which are not in the three designated categories:

- Foras na Gaeilge

- Gaeloideachas

- Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU)

- The Wheel