13.— (1) The Authority shall have a Board consisting of 12 members (including the chairperson and 11 ordinary members) appointed by the Minister in accordance with this section.

(2) The members of the Board shall be appointed by the Minister from among persons, who in the opinion of the Minister, have experience and expertise in relation to matters connected with the functions of the Authority which would enable such a person to make a substantial contribution to the performance by the Authority of its functions.

(3) A person is not eligible for appointment as a member of the Board or a committee of the Board, if the person is—

(a) a member of either House of the Oireachtas or of the European Parliament,

(b) regarded, pursuant to section 19 of the European Parliament Elections Act 1997, as having been elected to the European Parliament to fill a vacancy, or

(c) a member of a local authority.

(4) The chairperson of the Board holds office for a period not exceeding 5 years from the date of his or her appointment, as the Minister shall determine.

(5) Subject to subsection (6), an ordinary member of the Board shall hold office for a period not exceeding 5 years from the date of his or her appointment, as the Minister shall determine.

(6) Of the ordinary members of the Board first constituted under this section—

(a) 6 members of the Board as shall at a meeting held for the purposes of this subsection be selected—

(i) by unanimous agreement of the members of the Board attending the meeting, or

(ii) where no such agreement can for whatever reason be reached, by the drawing of lots by the members of the Board so attending,

shall hold office for a period of 3 years, and

(b) the remaining 5 members shall hold office for a period of 5 years.

(7) Subject to subsection (8), a member of the Board whose term of office expires by the passage of time is eligible for reappointment to the Board.

(8) A member of the Board who has served 2 terms of office is not eligible for reappointment to the Board, and any period during which a person serves as a member of the Board pursuant to an appointment under section 16 shall be deemed for the purposes of this subsection to be a term of office.

(9) The Minister shall endeavour to ensure that among the members of the Board there is an equitable balance between men and women.