36. (1) The Minister shall request the Public Appointments Service to hold a selection process for the purpose of identifying and recommending a person whom it is satisfied is suitable for appointment as director (in this Act referred to as the “Director”) of the Office—

(a) as soon as practicable after the coming into operation of this section, and

(b) thereafter, from time to time when the position of Director becomes vacant or the Commission anticipates it is to become vacant.

F1[(1A) The Director shall be a civil servant in the Civil Service of the State.]

(2) The Public Appointments Service shall, when requested to do so under subsection (1), hold a selection process and recommend to the Minister such person or persons whom it is satisfied are suitable for appointment as Director.

(3) The Minister shall, from among the persons recommended by the Public Appointments Service under subsection (2), appoint a person to be the Director.

(4) The Director may be removed from office by the Minister for stated reasons.

(5) The Director shall hold office for such period, not exceeding 5 years from the date of his or her appointment, as the Minister shall determine.

(6) Subject to subsection (7), a Director whose term of office expires with the passage of time shall be eligible for reappointment by the Minister.

(7) A person who is reappointed by the Minister in accordance with subsection (6) shall not hold office for periods the aggregate of which exceeds 10 years.

(8) F2[…]

(9) The Minister may, pending the appointment of a Director following the holding of a selection process under subsection (1), appoint a person to be the Director of the Office on an interim basis (in this subsection referred to as the “interim Director”) and where the Minister does so, the interim Director shall perform all the functions assigned to the Director by or under this Act and a reference in this Act to the Director includes a reference to the interim Director.