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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 10 Jun 1992

Vol. 421 No. 1

Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - State Agencies Boards.

John Bruton

Question:

8 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give details of the persons he or his predecessor appointed to the boards of State agencies since the terms of the review of the Joint Programme for Government was agreed on 18 October 1991, if he will outline in respect of each such appointee, whether he/she has made and signed a declaration in respect of any interests relevant to their membership of such bodies; and, if so, whether such declaration may be inspected by members of the public; and if so, where.

The only semi-State bodies under the aegis of my Department are the National Pensions Board, the Pensions Board and the Combat Poverty Agency.

The only person appointed by me to boards of State bodies under the aegis of my Department since 18 October 1991, is Mr. John Hynes, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare, who has been appointed as my Department's representative on the Pensions Board.

Following Government consideration of the matter, guidelines have been prepared by the Minister for Finance on the governance of State bodies. I have written to the chairman of each of the semi-State bodies operating under the aegis of my Department enclosing a copy of these guidelines and requesting that they be given immediate implementation.

Under the guidelines all appointees to the boards of State bodies are required to furnish details of all their business interests to the secretary to the body. It is up to the board of each State body to ensure that these arrangements are adhered to and that no conflict of interests arises. The guidelines do not require the publication of declared interests.

Provision is made in the legislation setting up both the Combat Poverty Agency and the Pensions Board for the disclosure by members of the board of any direct or indirect interest they may have in a company or concern with which the agency or board propose to make a contract, that such disclosures shall be recorded in the minutes and that in such circumstances the member concerned will not take part in deliberations relating to the contract in question.

I am not questioning the civil servants to whom the Minister has referred, but what authority has the Minister over the declaration of interest? Is the declaration available to the Minister only or is it available for inspection by the general public? How does the Minister propose to handle this aspect of the matter in future?

It is only fair to say that my Department do not have many State agencies under their aegis. As I said in my reply, the only semi-State boards under the aegis of my Department are the Combat Poverty Agency, the National Pensions Board and the Pensions Board. A similar question has been put down to other Ministers. I do not think this question is really relevant to the Department of Social Welfare. The person appointed to the National Pensions Board replaced a person who had moved on. In the case of the Combat Poverty Agency and the Pensions Board, there is provision in the legislation for the disclosure by members of the board of their interests. The chairperson of all semi-State boards have been asked to comply with the provisions of the guidelines issued recently by the Minister for Finance. I accept what the Deputy has in mind but he should not be too worried about the semi-State bodies under the aegis of my Department — they are not commercial bodies.

Will the declaration in respect of any interests be made public or will it be left to the discretion of the chairperson of the body concerned? This is what I am trying to get at.

I will have to check the position in that regard. Under the guidelines recently issued by the Minister for Finance details of all business interests are required to be furnished to the secretary of the appropriate body. I do not have information regarding the Deputy's last question and I will have to come back to him on it.

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