The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Board, the Pensions Ombudsman (which does not have a board) and the Social Welfare Tribunal. No new State Agency or Quango has been created or abolished since the formation of the Government. Details of the numbers of directors sitting on each board (including chairpersons) and the aggregate fees paid are set out in the table below.
|
Agency/ Board
|
Year
|
Number of Directors per year (to include the Chairperson)
|
Total cost
€
|
|
Citizens Information Board
|
2011 ( from March)
2012
2013 (to 31 October)
|
15
13
13
|
85,049
66,550
34,527
|
|
Pensions Board*
|
2011 ( from March)
2012
2013 (to 31 October)
|
15
15
15
|
86,284
90,203
74,100
|
|
Social Welfare Tribunal **
|
2011(from March)
2012
2013 (to 31 October)
|
1
1
1
|
Nil
Nil
Nil
|
* The operations of the Pensions Board, including payment of fees to the board members, are largely financed by annual fees payable to it by occupational pension schemes and by providers of Personal Retirement Savings Accounts and trust Retirement Annuity Contracts.
The Public Service Reform Programme provided for a critical review of the integration of the regulatory functions of the Pensions Board with the Financial Regulator and the merging of the Pensions Ombudsman with the Financial Services Ombudsman. The recommendations arising out of the Critical Review on the Pensions Board were approved by Government in April 2013 and were provided for in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2013.
It was recommended that the governance structure of the Pensions Board be restructured with two distinct arms as follows:
- Oversight of the Pensions Board will be undertaken by a three person body called the Pensions Authority. This will consist of a Chairperson and two officials from the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Finance;
- A separate unpaid Pensions Council, with a majority of members representing consumer interests, will be established to advise me on pensions policy.
I expect to appoint the Chairperson of the Authority as soon as possible and expressions of interest for the appointment to the Pensions Council will be processed through the PAS system shortly. In relation to the Pensions Ombudsman, the Report recommended that this office be merged with the Financial Service Ombudsman and arrangements in relation to the implementation of this recommendation are under active consideration.
** No costs incurred in respect of the Social Welfare Tribunal since the formation of the Government in March 2011.
