A NEW Irish Film Board has been appointed by the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht Mr Higgins.
The appointments were announced yesterday before the dissolution of the Dail. Details also emerged in the Dail of outstanding vacancies on several State boards.
The new appointees to the Film Board are the actor, Gabriel Byrne, and production manager, Ms Mary Alleguen.
Reappointed are the independent producer/director, Mr Louis Marcus casting director, Ms Nuala Moiselle; Ms Ann O'Connell, coauthor of a report on the indigenous audiovisual production industry; and former RTE producer, Mr Morgan O'Sullivan.
The details of vacancies on other boards emerged from questions put by the Fianna Fail chief whip, Mr Dermot Ahern.
There are 39 vacancies on boards under the responsibility of the Minister for Health. These are due to be filled by June 1st.
They include six on the Tallaght Hospital Board, two on the VHI Board, and one on the North Eastern Health Board.
Other vacancies within the Department's remit include the full memberships of the Board for the Employment of the Blind and of the Hospitals Trust Board. Other vacancies are for the Nursing Board (An Bord Altranais), the Food Safety Advisory Board and the General Medical Services (Payments) Board.
Appointments to be made by Mr Higgins include the Broadcasting Complaints Commission its term of office expires on June 2nd.
Three places have yet to be filled on the National Gallery Board of Governors and Guardians and four on the Board of Visitors for the National Museum and the Botanic Gardens.
The Minister for the Marine, Mr Barrett, said the chair of Bord Iascaigh Mhara is vacant - after Mr Mark FitzGerald left to become Fine Gael's director of elections. There is also a vacancy for a ministerial nominee on the Northern Regional Fisheries Board.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said it has just one vacancy on its National Committee for Development Education.
The Minister for Justice said there was one vacancy on the Loughan House visiting committee, while the term of office of the Censorship of Films Appeal Board expires on May 28th.
The Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Bruton, said he has nine vacancies to fill, including one on the Labour Court, one on the Employment Appeals Tribunal, three on the Crafts Council, two on Forfas and two on SFADCo.