Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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1766. To ask the Minister for Health when the vacancies on the board of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board will be fully filled. [15364/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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There are a number of vacancies on the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) at present. The immediate priority for me as Minister for Health is finding a permanent replacement for the previous Chair, Mr Fred Barry, who gave notice of his intention to resign from his position in January, effective from the end of February 2021.

My officials have initiated the process to seek to appoint a new Chairperson though the Public Appointments Service (PAS). This may take a period of time, but it is considered important that we cast the net wide to find the right candidate for this challenging role. 

In the meantime, and to ensure continuity and leadership on the Board, the Vice-Chair, Mr Tim Bouchier-Hayes, has been appointed as Interim Chair, effective from 28 February 2021.

On 23 February 2021, I appointed Mr Brian Keogh and Mr Michael Barry to the NPHDB from an existing PAS panel for the Board.

There are three remaining ordinary Board member vacancies. A panel for the subsequent selection of ordinary Board members will be established as soon as the new Chairperson has been appointed. It would not be considered appropriate from the perspective of good governance to appoint further members to the Board in the absence of a permanent Chairperson.