Over 200 people appointed to State boards in new process

More than 200 people have been appointed to State boards under a new process that allows members of the public to register their interest in vacancies.

Since November 2014, job vacancies have been advertised on the website Stateboards.ie, which is managed by the Public Appointments Service (PAS).

PAS said on Monday that by the end of 2015, it had advertised 304 vacancies across 70 State boards.

More than 4,600 applications for the positions had been submitted by members of the public via the website.

The PAS said: “After a process of objective assessment, over 900 names have been submitted for consideration by Ministers.

“By the end of 2015, 206 people had been appointed by Ministers to 53 State boards. Of those appointed, 55 per cent were male and 45 per cent female.”

It said it welcomed “capable, competent and suitably experienced people coming forward for consideration for appointment

“On an ongoing basis, Stateboards.ie seeks expressions of interest from people with relevant experience for possible appointment to a diverse range of State boards in the commercial, administrative, advisory and regulatory fields.”

PAS chief executive Fiona Tierney said she was very pleased with how the appointments process had worked over the last 12 months and the "very positive outcomes being achieved.

“I think the results speak for themselves as regards people participating in the process. We are also seeing some very positive progress in the area of gender representation in appointments.

“We continue to be keen to promote the open appointments process and I would encourage people with relevant experience and a commitment to public service to put themselves forward for consideration for appointment.”

PAS does not have records of appointments made outside the stateboards.ie system, such as those made directly by Ministers.

Begg appointment

Tánaiste Joan Burton provoked controversy recently when she appointed former Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) leader David Begg as chairman designate of the Pensions Authority.

Ms Burton had cited an exception in the guidelines for appointments to State boards to justify Mr Begg’s appointment.

She said the exception leaves it open to Ministers to appoint board members “other than strictly in accordance with the process” where she or he has “independently identified a person who is evidently and objectively highly qualified and capable of effectively discharging the role of chair of a State board and who has not otherwise applied through the stateboards.ie process”.

The appointment is subject to engagement with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection. Mr Begg is due to appear before the committee on Wednesday.