Family Support Agency Act, 2001

Membership of Agency and terms of office of members.

10.—(1) The Agency shall, subject to subsection (2), consist of 12 members, who shall be appointed by the Minister and who shall, subject to this section, hold and vacate office as the Minister may determine.

(2) Until the first appointment to the Agency of a person consequent to an election having been held to which subsection (5)(c) relates, the Agency shall consist of 11 members.

(3) The Minister shall designate one member of the Agency as chairperson.

(4) The Minister, when appointing a member (other than the chairperson) of the Agency, shall fix such member's period of membership which shall not exceed 3 years.

(5) The ordinary members of the Agency shall include—

(a) one officer of the Minister,

(b) persons, who, in the opinion of the Minister, have a special interest or expertise in matters relating to the functions of the Agency or matters related thereto,

(c) one member of the staff of the Agency who shall be elected by secret ballot of the staff of the Agency in such manner as the Agency, with the agreement of the Minister, may determine,

and may also include not more than 3 persons, each being an officer of any other Minister of the Government who, in the opinion of the Minister, has at that time direct concern with or responsibility for activities relevant to the functions of the Agency.

(6) There may be paid to members of the Agency, out of monies at the disposal of the Agency, such remuneration (if any) and allowances for expenses incurred by them as the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, may determine.

(7) A member of the Agency may resign from the Agency by letter addressed to the Minister and the resignation shall take effect from the date specified therein or upon receipt of the letter by the Minister, whichever is the later.

(8) A member of the Agency may at any time be removed from membership of the Agency by the Minister if, in the Minister's opinion, the member has become incapable through ill-health of performing his or her functions, or has committed stated misbehaviour, or his or her removal appears to the Minister to be necessary for the effective performance by the Agency of its functions.

(9) A member of the Agency shall cease to be and shall be disqualified from being a member of the Agency where such member—

(a) is adjudicated bankrupt,

(b) makes a composition or arrangement with creditors,

(c) on conviction on indictment by a court of competent jurisdiction is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, or

(d) is disqualified or restricted from being a director of any company (within the meaning of the Companies Acts, 1963 to 2001).

(10) If a member of the Agency dies, resigns, retires, becomes disqualified or is removed from office, the Minister may appoint a person to be a member of the Agency to fill the casual vacancy so occasioned and the person so appointed shall be appointed in the same manner as the member of the Agency who occasioned the casual vacancy.

(11) A person appointed to be a member of the Agency under subsection (10) shall hold office for the remainder of the term of office of the member who occasioned the casual vacancy he or she is appointed to fill and shall be eligible for re-appointment as a member of the Agency.

(12) A member of the Agency whose period of membership expires by the effluxion of time shall be eligible for re-appointment as a member of the Agency.

(13) The Minister shall, in so far as is practicable and having regard to relevant experience, ensure an equitable balance between men and women in the composition of the Agency.