Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 July 2016
273. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of appointments he has made to State boards since the move to the Public Appointments Service two years ago, to date; the names of those appointed and the relevant position on each board; the names of those persons on the short list; the date when the short list was provided to him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20063/16]
View answerThe only State 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.
Commandant Adam Lagun was appointed to the position of Army Medical Corps ordinary member of the Board in December 2011. This position became vacant in October 2014 due to Commandant Lagun being deployed overseas. On the recommendation of the Chief of Staff, Commandant Syed Shah was appointed temporarily to the Board, from 16 October 2014 to 31 May 2015, to cover Commandant Lagun’s absence. Commandant Lagun resumed as Ordinary member of the Board in June 2015. The position became vacant again in September 2015 with the deployment overseas of Commandant Lagun. On the recommendation of the Chief of Staff, Commandant Zdenek Osecky was appointed temporarily, from 10 September 2015 to 30 June 2016, to cover this temporary vacant position.
On the recommendation of the Chief of Staff, Commandant Lagun was replaced by Commandant Zdenek Osecky in the position of Army Medical Corps ordinary member of the Board in a permanent capacity on 24 June 2016 due to Commandant Lagun’s commitment to UNIFIL/UNDOF for overseas service.
Details of appointments to the Army Pensions Board are published in the Iris Oifigiúil.
