Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 July 2022
294. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Defence the actions that his Department and bodies under the aegis of his Department are taking to increase recruitment of members of the LGBTQIA+ communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38404/22]
View answerMy Department operates in a non-discriminatory environment in accordance with the Equality Acts and aims to ensure that the principles of employment equality are implemented in pay, recruitment, promotion, training and experience of the workplace. Recruitment of civil servants is carried out for the Department by the Public Appointments Service which undertakes recruitment underpinned by its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2021-2023.
The 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. Day to day worked related to the Board is undertaken by Board's Secretary who is a full time civil servant employed by the Department of Defence. The Board does not directly recruit any staff.
