State board appointments to be professionalised under new rules

New guidelines on appointments to State boards were launched on Thursday but Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin said it is impossible to know whether controversies can be completely avoided.

The rules, prepared by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, provide guidance on the appointments process to be followed before applicants can become members of State boards.

Mr Howlin said the guidelines were a “sea change” in how appointments to State boards are made. “There will be independent vetting of all candidates and a short list drawn up independently by the [Public Appointments Service] and given to the line Minister for final selection,” he said.

The rules are designed to end practices whereby appointments are seen as political in nature, such as the controversial appointment last year by Minister for the Arts Heather Humphreys of two Fine Gael members, John McNulty and Sheila O’Regan, to the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art.

Under the new process, vacancies on State boards are advertised publicly, the criteria for the appointment are made clear and all expressions of interest received are assessed by the independent appointments service.

“It’s certainly a sea change in the way people are appointed to state boards,” said Mr Howlin. “It takes the randomness out of it, professionalises it and it makes it much more open.”

Asked whether the new guidelines will bring an end to controversies around appointments, the Minister replied: “I hope so…This really is a new departure about how things are done. But will there be controversy into the future? Who knows? Life would be very dull if we couldn’t find something to focus on.”

A new website stateboards.ie will carry full details of vacancies on boards. Users will be able to make applications via the website and also register to receive email alerts when vacancies are published.

According to the Public Appointments Service, the site will be developed to “become a portal for all matters relating to State board vacancies and appointments”.

The National Women’s Conucil of Ireland welcomed the launch of the new guidelines and website.

“The launch of this website, in conjunction with the publication of the revised Guidelines, represents a significant opportunity for women to register their interest in serving on a State Board,” said the council’s women in leadership officer Louise Glennon.