President Age Referendum: Fine Gael says younger presidents would not get pension till retirement age, provide no proof.

The referendum on reducing the Age of qualification for candidture for the President from 35 to 21 held on 24th May 2015. Previous post on the Presidential Candidate Age Referendum.

Cost of Pension
Baby presidents would get 125k a year for life Sunday Independent. Jerome Reilly 03/05/2015

New figures supplied to the Sunday Independent by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform confirm that a young Irish president would get 50pc of their presidential salary as a pension from the year they leave office - and for the rest of their lives.

Government already reduced the future president's pay by 23% under , Financial emergency measures in the public interest amendment Act 2011, Minister Brendan Howlin second stage speech.

I tried to find a definitive answer either way and thought that I shouldn't take anything written in the Sunday Independent as true without checking.

I emailed Fine Gael asking about it on May 15

as your party favour the reducing of the presidential candidate age, would it not help to put out a party policy statement to restrict the president pension to retirement age, as you have done with ministers pensions, while also highlighting you've already reduced the pay of president by 23%, as government, to show that you willing to limit the presidents remuneration package if it passes.

The reply from Fine Gael on Jun 5th after the amendment was not passed.

All office holders in office since 2011, whether the President, the Taoiseach, ministers, TDs or senators, have had their pension entitlements changed, so that they now only quality for a pension when they meet two conditions – (a) they have left the presidency or the Oireachtas entirely, and (b) they are over the national retirement age. So no future presidents, Taoisigh, ministers, TDs or anyone else will receive a pension before retirement age.

Jim Duffy,
Research
Fine Gael Headquarters
51 Upper Mount St
Dublin 2

I emailed back,

Can you point me to exact law that says "Presidents would only qualify for a pension when they meet two conditions – (a) they have left the presidency (b) they are over the national retirement age."

No reply.

Despite commitment by Dept of Arts to reduce IMMA board to 9 members Minister Humphreys is to put it back to 12

Board Member Numbers

The Public Appointment Service put out advertisement for applications for new Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) board members on 30/07/2015.

There are nine positions advertised, four current vacancies and five arising in January/February 2016.

According Memorandum of Articles and Association of the Irish Museum of Modern Art Company the number of directors is 15.


IMMA board timeline

Data Source

You can see how in 2012 it went from 15 to 9 until recently it then went back up to 11 for a week then back to ten. The IMMA board currently has 8 members.

but the previous Minister for Arts Jimmy Deenihan had already said they would reduce the number from 15 to 9.

31/10/12 - Deenihan outlines reform actions for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht organisations

National Gallery of Ireland, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Crawford Art Gallery

The boards of the three institutions to be scaled back to a maximum of 9 members each, including the Chair (a reduction of the order of between 40 – 50 %).

and the board had been kept at 9 members for over 2 years but now despite having said that the board would be reduced to 9 it will be now set at 12, see incredible spin the department PR person,

Having emailed the Department of Arts and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to ask who was currently on the board and getting no reply for whole week, I had to depend on political correspondent for Today FM Gavan Reilly to get me that answer.

@lostexpectation pic.twitter.com/6XrWoFilk1

— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) August 7, 2015

Arts Boards Reduction Committments

National Gallery of Ireland, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Crawford Art Gallery: Summary of Reform Proposals 31.10.12

The boards of the three institutions to be retained, but scaled back to a maximum of 9 members each, including the Chair.

31/10/12 - Deenihan outlines reform actions for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht organisations

Some of the reform actions now being progressed include:

National Gallery of Ireland, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Crawford Art Gallery

• The boards of the three institutions to be scaled back to a maximum of 9 members each, including the Chair

Governance of Cultural Institutions 26 March 2013

Speech by Minister Jimmy Deenihan
Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

To ensure that appointments by the Minister of the day to these boards will have regard to an independent assessment process, based on a skills matrix to be drawn up by the Minister and managed through the Public Appointments Service;

To scale back the boards of the National Gallery of Ireland, IMMA and the Crawford Gallery to a maximum of 9 members each, including the Chair, all serving on a pro bono basis;

New Briefing for New Minister Briefing for Minister Heather Humphreys Summer 2014.

Contine to work on the implementation of the Government decision on reform of the NGI, IMMA and Crawford Gallery -Heads of Bill approved by Government and submitted to Oireachtas Commmittee

Heather Humphreys 2014-10-07

As part of the Government's plans for reform, it is intended to reduce the size of a number of boards under my remit on a permanent basis. Legislation is needed to give statutory effect to this change and it is expected that this legislation will be published in late 2015. Heads of Bills are currently with the relevant committee for consideration.

Report of the Joint Committee on the general scheme of the national cultural institutions (National Concert Hall) bill 2014

7.17 Head 17 – Board of the Hall

(2) All appointments by the Minister shall have regard to an independent assessment process, based on a published skills matrix to be drawn up by the Minister, and managed by the Public Appointments Service.

Heather Humphreys 2014-09-23

Legislation is required in order to reduce the number of members of the board, and this legislation is pending.

National Cultural Institutions (National Concert Hall) Bill 2014: Discussion

Mr. Niall Ó Donnchú: (assistant secretary)
Head 17(2) states that all appointments by the Minister shall have regard to an independent assessment process based on a published skills matrix to be drawn up by the Minister and managed by the Public Appointments Service.

Heather Humphreys 2015-01-14

Legislation has been prepared to give effect to these changes and to reduce the number on boards, provide for pro bono service and gender equality on each board.

Heather Humphreys 2014-10-08

The proposal also provides for a range of operational reform measures, including shared services, governance reform, reduced board sizes and enhanced processes for board appointments.

Heather Humphreys 2015-05-12

In addition, legislation is being prepared to update corporate governance in the Galleries, to reduce the numbers on their boards and provide for pro bono service and gender equality on each board.

Proposed Legislation
Legislation has been proposed by the government and the department to reform Cultural Institutions governance since atleast 2013 and most recently.

Government Legislative Programme Spring Summer 2015

SECTION B
Bills in respect of which heads have been agreed and texts are being drafted
Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
	Title of Bill	Purpose of Bill	Status of Bill
43	National Cultural Institutions (No. 1) Bill	To revise and update the governance arrangements in regard to the National Gallery, Irish Museum of Modern Art and Crawford Art Gallery Cork, including shared services	Publication Expected - Late 2015

There is a National Cultural Institutions bill in progress in the Dail but it only deals with the National Concernt Hall.

National Cultural Institutions (National Concert Hall) Bill 2015
National Cultural Institutions (National Concert Hall) Bill 2015 Enacted as 10/12/2015

Board of NCH
10. (1) The NCH shall have a Board consisting of a chairperson and 8 ordinary members
appointed by the Minister.
(2) (a) The chairperson and ordinary members of the Board shall be appointed by the
Minister, from among persons who, in the Minister’s opinion, have experience of,
and expertise in matters connected to music, dance, the arts, finance, business,
administration, marketing, fundraising, philanthropy, corporate governance,
human resources or venue management.
(b) When making an appointment under paragraph (a) the Minister shall consult the
chairperson of the Board in relation to the expertise that is required on the Board.
Board of NCH
10. (1) The NCH shall have a Board consisting of a chairperson and 8 ordinary members
appointed by the Minister.
(2) (a) The chairperson and ordinary members of the Board shall be appointed by the
Minister, from among persons who, in the Minister’s opinion, have experience of,
and expertise in matters connected to music, dance, the arts, finance, business,
administration, marketing, fundraising, philanthropy, corporate governance,
human resources or venue management.
(b) When making an appointment under paragraph (a) the Minister shall consult the
chairperson of the Board in relation to the expertise that is required on the Board.

Where did the published skill Matrix go?