The bodies under the aegis of my Department when the Government took office were the Civil Defence Board, the Board of Coiste an Asgard and the Army Pensions Board. The Civil Defence Board is the only body under the aegis of my Department which was identified in the Public Service Reform Plan as a body to be abolished. The Civil Defence Board was established in 2003 following the enactment of the Civil Defence Act 2002. Legislation was passed by the Oireachtas in December 2012 for the dissolution of the Board and the transfer of its functions back to the Department of Defence. This is anticipated to realise an annual saving of €60,000 in running costs.
Coiste an Asgard was the company set up to manage the National Sail Training Scheme. In September 2008, the company’s sail training vessel ‘Asgard II’ sank in the Bay of Biscay. In December 2009, the previous Government announced that the National Sail Training Scheme was to be discontinued and the funding for 2010 was cancelled. Up to and including 2009, the company had been receiving funding from the National Lottery of approximately €800,000 per annum.
The Company has been inactive since and there is no crew or staff left on the payroll. The winding-up process is well advanced and it is anticipated that the company will be in a position to close early in 2013.
There are no plans to merge or abolish the Army Pensions Board.
