Written Answers Nos. 121-122
121. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide the cost to the Exchequer each year from 2009 to 2014 of the amount paid by his Department under the terms of settlements which included confidentiality agreements or confidentiality clauses. [26178/14]
View answerThe Chief State Solicitor’s office and the State Claims Agency manage and provide legal representation in relation to all cases taken against the Minister for Defence. In cases where the State is considered liable or which involve an apportionment of liability between the State and the claimant, I am informed that both the Chief State Solicitor’s office and the State Claims Agency approach is to settle such cases expeditiously in so far as it is possible and to do so on reasonable terms. In cases where liability is fully disputed by the State, all necessary resources are applied to defending such claims robustly. The following table sets out the total amount of out of court settlements in relation to personal injury and employment claims taken against the Minister for Defence from 2009 to end of May 2014. These figures do not include awards made by the courts.
|
YEAR |
SETTLEMENT AMOUNT PAID |
|
2009 |
€3,722,637 |
|
2010 |
€1,990,116 |
|
2011 |
€2,519,414 |
|
2012 |
€1,507,579 |
|
2013 |
€1,982,414 |
|
2014 (to end May) |
€1,041,517 |
|
TOTAL |
€12,763,677 |
122. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Defence the number of appointments to State boards under the remit of his Department in each year from 2011 to 2014; the number that were publicly advertised; the reason all appointments are not open to public competition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26268/14]
View answerThe State Boards under the aegis of the Department of Defence when the Government took office were the Civil Defence Board, the Army Pensions Board and the Board of Coiste an Asgard. The Civil Defence Board was identified in the Public Service Reform Plan as a body to be abolished. The then Minister for Defence appointed a 14 person interim Board as a temporary measure in 2011 and in this context none of the positions were advertised. Legislation to dissolve the Board was passed by the Oireachtas in December 2012. Its functions have now transferred back to the Department of Defence.
There were no appointments to the Board of Coiste an Asgard from 2009. In the context of settling the Estimates for the Department of Defence for 2010, the Government decided that the national sail training scheme operated by Coiste an Asgard would be discontinued as recommended in the Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure. The formal wind up of the Company including voluntary strike off with the Companies Registration Office was completed in early 2013.
The only body currently under the aegis of the Department of Defence is the Army Pensions Board. The Army Pensions Board is an independent statutory body established under the Army Pensions Act, 1927. The Act specifies that the Board shall consist of a chairman and two ordinary members. The two ordinary members must be qualified medical practitioners of whom one must be an officer of the Army Medical Corps. The chairman and the non military ordinary member are appointed by the Minister for Defence with the concurrence of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The Army Medical Corps ordinary member is appointed by the Minister for Defence on the recommendation of the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces.
There have been two appointments to the Army Pensions Board since March 2011. A serving officer was appointed to the position of Army Medical Corps member of the Board in December 2011, and a civilian doctor was appointed as ordinary member in November 2013.
The position of Army Medical Corps ordinary member became vacant due to retirement in 2011. The then Minister for Defence appointed Commandant Adam Lagun to the Board on the recommendation of the Chief of Staff. As the Army Pensions Act, 1927 specifies that one of the ordinary members must be an officer of the Army Medical Corps, this position was not publicly advertised. Details of Commandant Lagun’s appointment to the Army Pensions Board were published in the Iris Oifigiúl on 13 January 2012.
The civilian doctor vacancy was advertised on the Department of Defence website and the Public Appointments Service website. A number of expressions of interest in the position were received and an appointment to the Board was made on foot of this public advertisement process.
