MEMBERS OF the public will shortly be able to apply for positions on State boards in the health area for the first time.
Minister for Health James Reilly told the Dáil last week that the Department of Health would soon be inviting expressions of interest in relation to future appointments to State boards.
Particular regard will be given to applicants with necessary experience in areas where there is deemed to be a skills shortage.
The Department of Health said yesterday that it was not in a position to say which board appointments would be the first to be advertised as the necessary IT infrastructure was not in place to facilitate the new application process.
In making any board appointments, the Minister must abide by the provisions of the legislation relevant to the body/agency in question. In many cases, legislation sets out specific criteria to be observed.
These include requirements that appointments be made, for example, on the nomination of a specific category of person/profession, from a specific field of expertise such as the management or delivery of a public/voluntary health service or education sector, and knowledge and skills specific to the business objectives of the board in question.
“The Minister may also have a surplus of expressions of interest over places available and the final decision will be a matter for the Minister having due regard to the need to ensure that all of those appointed have the relevant qualifications and skill mix for the positions to be filled,” the Department of Health said. “In that respect, the Minister will have particular regard to areas of skill shortage at any given time such as corporate governance, legal expertise, financial expertise [with particular reference to audit capability and/or project assessment] etc.”
The department is currently developing an area on its website where board vacancies can be advertised, but could not say which appointment would be first advertised.
However, the format and text of any advertisement would have to be standardised and would include:
- Summary information on the body/agency in question;
- The various categories of nominee being sought;
- The relevant legislation/section of the Act governing each appointment;
- The functions of the board in question;
- The duration of appointment/frequency of meeting and level of commitment required;
- The particular skill set/qualifications required.
Under the new reforms, anyone being considered for appointment to chair a State board will be required to make themselves available to go before an appropriate Oireachtas committee.
