16. (1) The Board shall consist of the following members:

(a) a chairperson;

(b) 11 ordinary members.

(2) (a) Subject to paragraph (b), the chairperson and the ordinary members of the Board shall be appointed by the Minister from among persons who, in the opinion of the Minister, have sufficient experience and expertise relating to—

(i) matters connected with the functions of An tÚdarás to enable them to make a substantial contribution to the effective and efficient performance of those functions, or

(ii) matters connected to education, teaching and learning, research, the promotion and use of the Irish language, organisational and financial governance, management, public administration or risk management.

(b) Not less than one of the persons appointed under paragraph (a) shall be a student or a full-time officer of a national student union, nominated by the national student union.

(3) The Minister, when making appointments to the Board, shall have regard to the objective that not less than 40 per cent of the members of the Board shall be women and not less than 40 per cent of them shall be men.

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

(5) Subject to subsection (6), an ordinary member shall hold office for such period, not exceeding 4 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 shall hold office for a period of not more than 2 years from the date of their appointment as such members, and

(b) 5 members shall hold office for a period of not more than 4 years from the date of their appointment as such members.

(7) Subject to subsection (8), a member of the Board whose term of office expires by the effluxion of time shall be eligible for re-appointment to the Board.

(8) A person who is re-appointed to be a member of the Board in accordance with subsection (7) shall not hold office for more than two consecutive terms and, in any event, may not serve as such a member for a period of more than 8 years.

(9) Subject to subsection (10), the persons who held office as members of An tÚdarás immediately before the commencement of section 7 shall cease to hold office upon such commencement but shall be eligible to be appointed as members of the Board for a term not exceeding 4 years.

(10) A person referred to in subsection (9) who is appointed as a member of the Board shall not hold office as such a member for more than one term and, in any event, may not serve as such a member and as a member of An tÚdarás for a cumulative period of more than 8 years.