Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

328. To ask the Minister for Finance the end dates of the terms of office of each of the chief executive officers or equivalent in each of the public bodies or publicly funded bodies under his aegis; if there will be a publicly open competition to fill these roles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30584/21]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The following is the situation in relation to the position of Chief Executive Officer and equivalent of public bodies and publicly funded bodies under the aegis of my Department:

The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor Generalhas three Directors of Audit, all of whom are appointed to positions following an open Top Level Appointments Commission (TLAC) competition. The Comptroller and Auditor General appoints one of the three Directors as Secretary to the Office and the Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform appoints that Director as Accounting Officer on foot of a nomination by the Comptroller and Auditor General. The Directors are permanent civil servants, and as such, their term of office ends on retirement, resignation or dismissal.

The term of office of the Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland is due to expire on 31 August 2026. Part III of the Central Bank Act 1942, as amended, outlines that the Governor of the Central Bank is appointed by the President on the nomination of the Government for a period of 7 years which may be extended by a further 7 years. The appointment was made in accordance with the statutory requirements and the Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and, as such, was advertised publicly on the State Boards website.

The Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman’s term of office will expire on the 19 April 2023. Section 8 of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman Act 2017 sets out the manner by which the appointment of the Ombudsman can be made, including that the appointment is consequent upon the holding of an open competition in accordance with the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004.

The term of office of the Chief Executive Officer of Home Building Finance Ireland expires on 31 August 2024. An open public recruitment competition is held for the role of CEO.

The term of office of a Member of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council is four years and a Member may serve up to three consecutive terms of office. The Minister for Finance designates one of the Council Members as Chairperson. The current Chairperson was reappointed as a Member of the Fiscal Council in accordance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2012 for a third term effective from 1 January 2021 and continues to serve as Chairperson having been appointed by the Minister to this role on 22 July 2020. This term will expire on 31 December 2024. Member Appointments to the Fiscal Council comply with the Public Appointments Service (PAS) process set out in the Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards and, as such, appointments are filled through a publicly open competition.

The Chairperson of the Irish Financial Services Appeals Tribunal (IFSAT) is serving a second term which is due to end on 14 June 2025. IFSAT is established under Part VIIA and Schedule 5 of the Central Bank Act 1942 as set out in the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Act 2003. The Act provides that a member is eligible for re-appointment, but may not hold office for more than three consecutive terms of 5 years. The Chairperson of IFSAT is appointed by the President on the nomination of the Government for a period of 5 years. The appointment of the current Chairperson, was made in accordance with the statutory requirements and the Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards and, as such, was advertised publicly on the State Boards website.

The National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) Chief Executive Officer was appointed by the Minister for Finance in December 2009 in accordance with Section 37 of the NAMA Act 2009. The lifespan of NAMA was always envisaged to be relatively limited and as NAMA is currently in the process of an orderly wind down, the CEO’s term will conclude when this is completed.

The contract of the Chief Executive of the National Asset Treasury Agency (NTMA) expires on 30 June 2022. The NTMA will operate an open public recruitment competition for this role in due course.

The Office of the Revenue Commissioners has three Commissioner Positions. It has advised that the end date of the term of office for the Chairperson of the Board is 2 February 2022. The end dates of the terms of the other two Commissioners are 2 February 2022 and 6 February 2025. Each term is for a period of seven years. The Commissioner posts are Secretary General Positions and are filled by an open TLAC competition, the Minister for Finance appoints one of the Commissioners as Chairman.

The term of the Acting Chief Executive of the Strategic Banking Corporation Ireland (SBCI) will expire on 31 August 2021. Following a recent public recruitment competition, a new Chief Executive will take up their position on 1 September 2021 for a term of five years.

The Chairperson of the Tax Appeals Commission (TAC) was appointed on 1July 2020. Appeals Commissioners (including the Chairperson) serve seven year terms as per the provisions of the Finance (Tax Appeals) Act 2015. Appeals Commissioners can serve a second term if the Minister for Finance decides to reappoint them. Commissioners cannot serve more than two terms (fourteen years total). Accordingly, the Chairpersons term will end on 30June 2027. When a vacancy arises at Commissioner level (including the Chairperson), the Public Appointment Service (PAS) will run an open competition.