105.—(1) The chairperson shall be appointed by the Government.

(2) There shall be a committee (“the committee”) consisting of—

(a) the President of the High Court,

(b) the Cathaoirleach of the General Council of County Councils,

(c) the Secretary-General of the Department of the Environment and Local Government,

(d) the Chairperson of the Council of An Taisce — the National Trust for Ireland,

(e) the President of the Construction Industry Federation,

(f) the President of the Executive Council of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and

(g) the Chairperson of the National Women’s Council of Ireland.

(3) Where—

(a) any of the persons referred to in subsection (2) signifies at any time his or her unwillingness or inability to act for any period as a member of the committee, or

(b) any of the persons referred to in subsection (2) is through ill-health or otherwise unable so to act for any period,

the Minister may, when making a request under subsection (7), appoint another person to be a member of the committee in his or her place and that person shall remain a member of the committee until such time as the selection by the committee pursuant to the request is made.

(4) Where the Minister makes a request under subsection (7) and at the time of making the request any of the offices referred to in subsection (2) is vacant, the Minister may appoint a person to be a member of the committee and that person shall remain a member of the committee until such time as the selection of the committee pursuant to the request is made.

(5) Where, pursuant to subsection (3) or (4), the Minister appoints a person to be a member of the committee, he or she shall, as soon as may be, cause a notice of the appointment to be published in Iris Oifigiúil.

(6) (a) The Minister may by order amend subsection (2).

(b) The Minister may by order amend or revoke an order under this subsection (including an order under this paragraph).

(c) Where an order under this subsection is proposed to be made, the Minister shall cause a draft thereof to be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas and the order shall not be made until a resolution approving of the draft has been passed by each such House.

(d) Where an order under this subsection is in force, subsection (2) shall be construed and have effect subject to the terms of the order.

(7) (a) The committee shall, whenever so requested by the Minister, select 3 candidates, or if in the opinion of the committee there is not a sufficient number of suitable applicants, such lesser number of candidates as the committee shall determine, for appointment to be the chairperson and shall inform the Minister of the names of the candidates, or, as may be appropriate, the name of the candidate, selected and of the reasons why, in the opinion of the committee, they are or he or she is suitable for the appointment.

(b) In selecting candidates the committee shall have regard to the special knowledge and experience and other qualifications or personal qualities which the committee considers appropriate to enable a person effectively to perform the functions of the chairperson.

(8) Except in the case of F544[an appointment under section 105A or] a re-appointment under subsection (12), the Government shall not appoint a person to be the chairperson unless the person was selected by the committee under subsection (7) in relation to that appointment but—

(9) The Minister may make regulations as regards—

(a) the publication of the notice that a request has been received by the committee under subsection (7),

(b) applications for selection by the committee, and

(c) any other matter which the Minister considers expedient for the purposes of this section.

(10) A person who is, for the time being—

(a) entitled under the Standing Orders of either House of the Oireachtas to sit therein,

(b) a member of the European Parliament, or

(c) a member of a local authority,

shall be disqualified from being appointed as the chairperson.

(11) The chairperson shall be appointed in a wholetime capacity and shall not at any time during his or her term of office hold any other office or employment in respect of which emoluments are payable.

(12) Subject to the other provisions of this section, the chairperson F544[(other than a chairperson appointed on an interim basis under section 105A)] shall hold office for a term of 7 years and may be re-appointed by the Government for a second or subsequent term of office, provided that a person shall not be re-appointed under this subsection unless, at the time of his or her re-appointment, he or she is or was the outgoing chairperson.

(13) (a) The chairperson may resign his or her office as chairperson by letter addressed to the Minister and the resignation shall take effect on and from the date of the receipt of the letter by the Minister.

F545[(b) The chairperson shall vacate the office of chairperson on attaining the age of 70 years or, where a higher age is prescribed by order under section 3A(2) of the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004 for the purposes of that Act, that age but, where the person is a new entrant (within the meaning of that Act) appointed on or after 1 April 2004, the requirement to vacate office on grounds of age shall not apply.]

(c) A person shall cease to be the chairperson if he or she—

(i) is nominated either as a member of Seanad Éireann or for election to either House of the Oireachtas or to the European Parliament,

(ii) is regarded pursuant to Part XIII of the Second Schedule to the European Parliament Elections Act, 1997, as having been elected to that Parliament to fill a vacancy, or

(iii) becomes a member of a local authority.

(d) A person shall cease to be the chairperson if he or she—

(i) is adjudicated bankrupt,

(ii) makes a composition or arrangement with creditors,

(iii) is convicted of any indictable offence in relation to a company,

(iv) is convicted of an offence involving fraud or dishonesty, whether in connection with a company or not,

(v) is sentenced by a court of competent jurisdiction to a term of imprisonment,

(vi) is the subject of an order under section 160 of the Companies Act, 1990, or

(vii) ceases to be resident in the State.

F546[(14) Subject to the provisions of this section, the chairperson shall hold office on such terms and conditions (including terms relating to allowances for expenses) as the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, determines.]

(15) The chairperson may be removed from office by the Government if he or she has become incapable through ill-health of effectively performing his or her functions, or if he or she has committed stated misbehaviour, or if his or her removal appears to the Government to be necessary for the effective performance by the Board of its functions, and in case the chairperson is removed from office under this subsection, the Government shall cause to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas a statement of the reasons for the removal.