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Minister Naughten announces 3 appointments to Board of the Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA)

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Denis Naughten, T.D., has appointed Ms. Ann Markey, and Messrs. Brian Keogh and Michael Conlon, to the Board of the Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA) for a period of two years.

The DHDA is the state agency charged with managing the Digital Hub cluster, which is aimed at creating an international centre of excellence for digital content and technology enterprises. The Digital Hub is located in Dublin's south-west inner city, in the historic Liberties area. At the end of 2015, the DHDA was home to 98 digital enterprises, with 702 full-time employees.

Minister Naughten said “I am pleased to appoint Ms. Markey, Mr. Keogh and Mr. Conlon to the Board of the Digital Hub Development Agency. I believe these appointments will ensure that the Agency has access to key expertise and competence, at an important time of change and opportunity for the Agency. Along with preparations for its merger with Dublin City Council, the Agency is engaged in significant expansion of its enterprise office capacity through the development and refurbishment of properties on its Dublin 8 campus”.

The appointments were made pursuant to Section 15 of the Digital Hub Development Agency Act 2003 and in accordance with the Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards.


ENDS


Notes to Editors

Ms. Ann Markey currently operates as a business consultant. Ms Markey’s career experience spans private, commercial semi-state, and tech start-up sectors. She has extensive financial expertise, and has operated at senior management level and board level for approximately 20 years. She is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland, an Associate of the Irish Tax Institute and holds a Bachelor of Civil Law, UCD.

Mr Brian Keogh has extensive experience in property and project management, having worked in the construction industry for over 40 years. He has significant experience at senior management and at board level, and also has wide international experience. Mr Keogh is a graduate of Civil Engineering, UCD and a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers in Ireland.

Mr Michael Conlon will provide local community representation to the Board, in line with the Digital Hub Development Act 2003. Currently, he is CEO of the South Inner City Community Development Association, and leads a team to deliver an integrated community development programme for the area. Mr Conlon’s educational qualifications include a Bachelor of Science in Community Development from the University of Ulster.

Appointment process
Section 15 of the Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA) Act, 2003, provides that the Members of the Agency shall consist of not more than 14 persons, including the Chief Executive who is an ex-officio appointee, who shall be appointed by the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Section 15 (6) (c) of the DHDA Act provides for the Minister to appoint “a representative of the local community in the digital hub”. The DHDA Act does not require Government approval for DHDA Board appointments.

These three Board appointments were made in accordance with the Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards.