68.— (1) The Minister shall, as soon as practicable after the establishment day, establish an Appeals Panel and shall appoint at least 10 people with a special interest or expertise in, or knowledge of, education and training or the functions of the Authority (other than members of the Authority or staff of the Authority) to be members of that Panel.

(2) A person shall not be appointed to an Appeals Panel if he or she is a person to whom any of paragraphs (a) to (f) of subsection (10) is applicable.

(3) A member of the Appeals Panel shall hold office for such period, not exceeding 5 years from the date of his or her appointment, as the Minister determines.

(4) The Minister shall appoint a chairperson of the Appeals Panel from among the members of the Appeals Panel.

(5) A member of the Appeals Panel whose term of membership of the Appeals Panel expires shall be eligible for reappointment as a member of the Panel.

(6) A member of the Appeals Panel is entitled to be paid such remuneration, fees or allowances for expenses as the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, determines.

(7) A member of the Appeals Panel may at any time resign from office by giving notice in writing to the Minister of his or her resignation.

(8) A resignation under subsection (7) takes effect on the day on which the Minister receives the notice.

(9) The Minister may at any time remove from office a member of the Appeals Panel if, in the opinion of the Minister—

(a) the member has become incapable through ill-health of effectively performing his or her functions,

(b) the member has committed stated misbehaviour, or

(c) the removal of the member appears to the Minister to be necessary for the effective performance by the Appeals Panel of its functions.

(10) A member of the Appeals Panel shall cease to be qualified for office and shall cease to hold office if he or she—

(a) is adjudicated bankrupt,

(b) makes a composition or arrangement with creditors,

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

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

(e) is convicted of an offence involving fraud or dishonesty, or

(f) is the subject of an order under section 160 of the Companies Act 1990.

(11) If a member of the Appeals Panel dies, resigns, ceases to be qualified for office or is removed from office, the Minister may appoint a person to be a member of the Appeals Panel to fill the casual vacancy so occasioned.

(12) A person appointed to be a member of the Appeals Panel pursuant to subsection (11)—

(a) holds office for so much of the term of office of the member who occasioned the casual vacancy concerned as remains unexpired at the date of the appointment, and

(b) is eligible for reappointment as a member of the Panel on the expiry of that period.

(13) The Appeals Panel is independent in the performance of its functions.