Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 October 2023
373. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide details of all agencies and bodies under the aegis of her Department; if a dedicated Oireachtas email address is available for each; if not, if she will direct that such a dedicated email address be established to facilitate more efficient communication; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46551/23]
View answerThe statutory bodies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Council and the Social Welfare Tribunal. Details in relation to each of these bodies is outlined below:
Citizens Information Board
The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the national agency responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice and advocacy on social services as well as for the provision of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS).
Pensions Authority
The role of the Pensions Authority is to monitor and supervise the operation of the Pensions Act (as amended) and private pension developments generally.
Pensions Council
The Pensions Council advises the Minister for Social Protection on matters relating to policy on pensions. The Council represents and protects the consumer interest and helps to ensure that the pensions system has a strong consumer focus.
Social Welfare Tribunal
The Social Welfare Tribunal is a statutory body set up to deal with cases where entitlement to Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Allowance is refused due to an involvement in a trade dispute. The members of the Tribunal are appointed by the Minister for Social Protection and consists of an independent Chairperson, two members nominated by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) and two by the Irish Business and Employer's Confederation (IBEC).
I can confirm that all the above bodies continue to have dedicated email contact addresses in place for members of the Houses of the Oireachtas. These mailboxes are monitored daily and operate efficiently and effectively. The list is periodically updated and re-circulated to Oireachtas members.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
