The Board comprises up to seventeen members, of which ten are appointed by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, five are ex-officio holders of the offices listed below and two are nominated and appointed by the Royal Hibernian Academy pursuant to a power bestowed on them in the 1854 Act. Members appointed by the Minister serve terms of five years. Ex-officio members serve terms of varying duration depending on the constitution of their organisation.
Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA): President
Royal Dublin Society (RDS): President and Vice President
Royal Irish Academy (RIA): President
Office of Public Works (OPW): Chairman
Current membership is as follows:
Appointed by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht:
Dr Olive Braiden (Chair) [appointed 16 February 2009]
Dr Abdul Bulbulia [appointed 18 December 2003, re-appointed 16 February 2009]
Mr Michael Cush SC [appointed 4 March 2011]
Mr Dermod Dwyer [appointed 22 February 2010]
Mr Jackie Gallagher [appointed 08 May 2009]
Mr. Fred Krehbiel [appointed 8 June 2011]
Dr Tom McCarthy (Vice Chair) [appointed 22 February 2010]
Dr Paul O’Brien [appointed 16 February 2009]
Government appointees to the NGI Board are eligible to receive fees as recommended by the Department of Finance.
Ex-Officio:
Professor Luke O’Connor Drury PRIA [nominated October 2009]
Ms Clare McGrath, Chairman OPW [nominated 5 September 2009]
Mr Fonsie Mealy PRDS [nominated 6 December 2007]
Mr Mathew Dempsey RDS [nominated 2 December 2010]
Nominated and Appointed by the RHA:
Mr Martin Gale RHA [nominated November 2008]
Mr James Hanley RHA [nominated September 2009]
Mr Des McMahon PRHA [nominated October 2009]
