State Board Vacancies
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
State Board Vacancies December 2011
In accordance with the Government's recent decision, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, invites expressions of interest from persons interested in being appointed to the boards of State Bodies and Agencies operating under the Department's aegis.
In making any board appointments, the Minister will not necessarily be confined to those who make such expressions of interest but will ensure that all of those appointed have the relevant qualifications for the positions. In that respect, the Minister will have regard to the body or agency in question and its particular area of responsibility etc. as well as ensuring that the board members have an appropriate mix of skills and experience in such areas as corporate governance, legal expertise, financial expertise (with particular reference to audit capability and/or project assessment). The Minister may, from time to time, also decide not to fill all existing vacancies.
Persons being proposed for appointment as chairpersons of State Bodies/Agencies will be required to make themselves available to the appropriate Oireachtas committee to discuss the approach which they will take to their role as chairperson and their views about the future contribution of the body or Board in question and, following that discussion, decisions will be taken by the Minister or the Government, as appropriate, to confirm the nominee as chairperson.
In the case of a number of the bodies and agencies, the board appointments, while made by the Minister, are not made at the Minister's sole discretion and, instead, individuals are nominated for appointment by the Minister by various organisations, specified in the relevant statute. These include the Aquaculture Licensing Appeals Board, Teagasc, National Milk Agency, Veterinary Council and Horse Racing Ireland.
The following table sets out the current position (May 2011) in relation to the boards of those bodies and agencies operating under the aegis of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Expressions of interests from persons interested in being appointed to any such vacancy should be sent by e-mail to stateboardvacancies@agriculture.gov.ie and should be accompanied by a short note or CV outlining the person's qualification for appointment to any such vacancies. The table of vacancies will be kept updated on the Department's website - www.agriculture.gov.ie
November 2011
| Body/Agency | No of Board Members | No of Existing Board Vacancies | Relevant Statute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aquaculture Licensing Appeals Board | 7 | 2 | Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997 |
| An Bord Bia | 15 | 0 | An Bord Bia Acts 1994 to 2004 |
| Bookmakers Appeal Committee | 5 | 0 |
Irish Horseracing Act, 1994, Section 56 The Chairman of this committee must be a judge or a practising barrister or solicitor of at least 7 years standing |
| Bord Iascaigh Mhara | 6 | 1 | Sea Fisheries Act 1952 |
| Bord na gCon | 7 | 0 |
The Chairman is appointed by the Minister in accordance with the provisions of Section 8 of the Greyhound Industry Act 1958. Ordinary members of the Board are appointed by the Minister in accordance with Section 9 of the Greyhound Industry Act 1958 as amended by Section 2 of the Greyhound Industry (Amendment) Act 1993. |
| Coillte | 9 | 1 | Forestry Act 1988 |
| Horse Racing Ireland | 14 on board including chairman |
- |
All members of the Board are appointed by the Minister in accordance with Section 1 of the Horse Racing Ireland (Membership) Act 2001. For the most part persons are nominated by organisations specified in the Horse Racing Ireland (Membership) Act 2001 for appointment by the Minister |
| Irish National Stud1 | 7 on board including chairman | 4 | All members of the Board are appointed by the Minister in accordance with Section 7 of the National Stud Act 1976 and in accordance with the Articles of Association of the Company. |
| Marine Institute | 9 | 1 | Marine Institute Act 1991 |
| National Milk Agency | 14 | - | Milk (Regulation of Supply) Act 1994 |
| Racegoers Consultative Forum | 19 | - |
Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001, Section 9 Two members appointed by the Minister |
| Sea Fisheries Protection Authority2 | 3 | - | Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006 |
| Teagasc | 11 | - | Agriculture (Research, Training and Advice) Act 1988 |
| Veterinary Council | 19 | - | Veterinary Practice Act 2005 |
1Four further appointments/re-appointments to be made
2The Sea Fisheries Protection Authority has three members, of whom one is an Executive Chairman. Each member of the Authority shall be appointed by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to hold office in a full-time capacity for a period of not less than three years and not more than seven years (section 47(4) of the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006)
