Carol Nolan questions long-serving appointments to National Milk Agency Board
11-05-2026
Independent TD for Offaly Carol Nolan has raised concerns about the length of service of certain members on the board of the National Milk Agency (NMA), while acknowledging the importance of sector-specific expertise in such roles.
In a parliamentary question to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Nolan sought details on the reappointment history of the four board members.
The reply shows that several individuals have served continuously for very significant periods:
Former Chairperson: appointed 1994, served until resignation in 2025 (over 31 years)
Producer Representative: appointed 1994, 10 terms
Consumer Representative: appointed 1997, 9 terms
Distributors’ Representative: appointed 2000, 8 terms.
Commenting on the matter, Deputy Nolan said:
“The National Milk Agency plays an important role in the regulation of liquid milk supply, and I fully recognise that experienced individuals with deep sectoral knowledge are valuable. Continuity and expertise are often beneficial in specialist state bodies.”
“However, when the same people serve on a board for 25 years or more, it inevitably gives rise to perceptions of a ‘jobs for life’ culture. This is no longer tenable in modern governance. It risks reducing fresh thinking, innovation and broader accountability, even where no wrongdoing is alleged.”
“Successive Ministers have reappointed these members over many years, and while the 1994 Act sets out a nomination and election process, there is still scope for greater rotation and renewal. The Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies 2016 emphasises the importance of appropriate term limits. I believe it may now time to apply that principle more rigorously to the NMA.”
Deputy Nolan concluded by saying that she is not calling for the removal of experienced members but for a more balanced approach that brings in new voices while retaining necessary expertise.
“Good governance requires us to move away from the appearance of permanent appointments. A refreshed board with a healthy mix of experience and new perspectives might better serve both the dairy sector and consumers in the years ahead.”
Deputy Nolan has also called on the Minister to actively encourage greater turnover across all board positions in line with best governance practice.
ENDS
Note to Editor
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For Written Answer on : 06/05/2026
Question Number(s): 710 Question Reference(s): 32221/26
Department: Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Asked by: Carol Nolan T.D.
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QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine the number of times that each of the four members of a board (details supplied) have been reappointed to the board by successive Ministers for Agriculture; the reasons these individuals have served as members of the board continuously for over 25 years; his views on whether it can be justified for any person to sit on any State board as an appointee of the Government for such a long period of time; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY
The information sought by the Deputy is outlined in the table below:
Name | Year of Appointment | Number of Terms served | Nomination & Election |
Former Chairperson | 1994 | Term was open ended. Resigned 2025 | – |
Producer Representative | 1994 | 10 | Producer Representative Elected |
Consumer Representative | 1997 | 9 | Nominated by both government and private consumer bodies |
Distributors’ Representative | 2000 | 8 | Nominated by denomination of their Agency |
The process for appointment of Board members to the National Milk Agency (NMA) is set out in the Milk (Regulation of Supply), Act 1994. Individuals are nominated for appointment by various organisations as specified in Schedule 2 of the Milk (Regulation of Supply), Act 1994.
In relation to producer members, an election is held every three years. The next election will be held in 2027. All other Board members are appointed on a three yearly cycle on the basis of nominations from relevant sectoral interests.
In making these appointments, I am very mindful of the provisions of the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies 2016 in relation to the terms of appointment of board members. The specific nature of the work of the National Milk Agency, as well as the necessity to nominate individuals with the appropriate balance of relevant skills and in line with the process set out in the Milk (Regulation of Supply), Act 1994, may necessitate the reappointment of members.