Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 July 2026
364. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if there is a specific policy within his Department that seeks to preclude those elected to local authorities from any boards that he may appoint; the rationale behind any such policy; the way in which it aligns with encouraging participation in local government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52850/26]
View answer365. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to commit to preparing legislation to not automatically exclude members of local authorities from consideration for appointment to State boards; and to set out the reasons such persons would be excluded. [52868/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 364 and 365 together.
My Department manages appointments to its State Boards in accordance with DPER’s Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards (2014) and the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies (2016), as amended, in conjunction with the relevant governing legislation or other legal document that applies to my Department’s State Bodies.
While my Department does not have a specific policy to exclude elected local authority members from appointment to state boards, the relevant governing legislation or other legal document applying to these State bodies takes precedence over the Code of Practice and Guidelines in respect of Board membership and related governance matters. Accordingly, the specific provisions or articles governing Board membership vary from one body to another. I have no plans to introduce further legislative provisions in this regard at present.
