106.—F552[(1) The Minister shall ensure, in so far as is practicable, that—

(a) the ordinary members of the Board are persons who, in the opinion of the Minister, have satisfactory experience of, or a satisfactory mix of experience and knowledge of, infrastructure delivery, housing, physical planning, sustainable development, architecture, heritage, community affairs, social affairs, planning, the environment, the marine, climate change, law and corporate governance, and

(b) there is an equitable balance among the ordinary members between men and women.]

F552[(2) The Minister shall establish a suitable, independent, objective, and transparent procedure (which may include the establishment of a committee), in accordance with which recommendations may be made to the Minister in relation to the appointment of ordinary members of the Board.]

F552[(3) The Minister may make regulations providing for such matters as the Minister considers necessary for the purpose of establishing the procedure referred to in subsection (2) including, where a committee is established under that section, regulations pertaining to the membership of the committee.]

F552[(4) The procedure provided for under subsection (2) shall require that—

(a) applications be invited from suitably qualified persons for appointment as an ordinary member of the Board,

(b) a panel of candidates suitable for appointment as an ordinary member be prepared having regard to the knowledge, experience, qualifications and personal qualities appropriate to enable a person to perform the functions of an ordinary member effectively,

(c) the Minister be informed of the names of the candidates on the panel and the reasons why such candidates are suitable for the appointment, and

(d) a recommendation be made to the Minister regarding which candidate on the panel the Minister should appoint as an ordinary member.]

F552[(5) Except in the case of a re-appointment under subsection (12) and subject to section 104(4) and section 108(4), the Minister shall not appoint a person to be an ordinary member other than a person recommended in accordance with the procedure established under subsection (2).]

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F552[(9) The Minister may make regulations as regards any 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 an ordinary member.

(11) Each of the ordinary members shall be appointed in a whole-time 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 section 108(4)(b), an ordinary member shall hold office for such term (not exceeding 5 years) as shall be specified by the Minister when appointing him or her to office and may be re-appointed by the Minister 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 an outgoing member of the Board.

(13) (a) An ordinary member may resign his or her membership 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.

F554[(b) A person shall vacate the office of ordinary member 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 an ordinary member 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 an ordinary member of the Board 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.

(14) (a) There shall be paid by the Board to each ordinary member such remuneration and allowances for expenses as the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, determines.

(b) Subject to the other provisions of this section, an ordinary member shall hold office on such terms and conditions as the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, determines.

(15) An ordinary member may be removed from office by the Minister 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 Minister to be necessary for the effective performance by the Board of its functions, and in case an ordinary member is removed from office under this subsection, the Minister shall cause to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas a statement in writing of the reasons for the removal.