Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe has today (Friday) announced a number of appointments and reappointments to State Boards for which he has responsibility. The Boards are;
- The Road Safety Authority (RSA), because of its crucial public service remit in helping to save lives.
- The National Transport Authority (NTA), which will become inquorate by the end of November.
Speaking today Minister Donohoe said: ‘All vacancies for boards for which this Department has responsibility are available to be viewed on our website. These appointments will ensure the smooth running and appropriate level of oversight in these two bodies in the immediate term and I want to thank the individuals for agreeing to serve. Their appointment will ensure the continuation of the important work of the bodies’.
The appointments are as follows;
Road Safety Authority
- John Lumsden is to be appointed to the Board of the RSA. He had previously worked in the Department of Transport and served as Assistant Secretary. During his time with the Department he had responsibility for legislation and policy development relating to road safety. Mr Lumsden submitted an expression of interest in State Board membership through the system which the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport initiated in 2011.
- Aileen O’Toole is to be appointed to the Board of the RSA. She was a co-founder of the Sunday Business Post and more recently has run a specialist consultancy firm specialising in digital marketing, an area of particular concern to the RSA as it seeks to get its message across to young drivers. She was also the founder of the Ideas Campaign initiative in 2009. She expressed an interest in serving via the Board Diversity Initiative, which provides a bridge between boards and women candidates. Since the launch of the initiative, more than 30 women on the panel have been appointed to Irish boards.
National Transport Authority
- John Fitzgerald is to be reappointed as Chair of the NTA for a period of two and a half years. Mr Fitzgerald is an accountant and former Dublin City Manager.
- Berna Grist will be reappointed to the Board of the NTA. She is a barrister and chartered town planner specialising in planning law and a senior lecturer in UCD.
- Linda Saunders will be reappointed to the Board of the NTA. She is formerly a senior planner with the DTO and CEO of Wicklow Chambers of Commerce.
ENDS