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Appointments to State Boards

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 December 2023

Thursday, 14 December 2023

Questions (352)

Rose Conway-Walsh

Question:

352. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide the number of public servants servicing on State boards since 2006 in an independent capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55910/23]

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Written answers

The 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.

Public servants serve on the boards of the Citizens Information Board (CIB), the Pensions Authority and the Pensions Council in their capacity as ex-officio appointments and in the case of the CIB, as a staff representative under Section 9.4 (c) of Comhairle Act 2000 (as amended).  The Social Welfare Tribunal consists of a Chairperson and four ordinary members, two appointed on the nomination of Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) and two nominated by Irish Business and Employers' Confederation (IBEC).  Legislation provides that the four ordinary members of the Tribunal are appointed by the Minister on the recommendation of the two relevant bodies.  The Social Welfare Tribunal has not sat since 2014 but no member was a public servant.

In making appointments to these boards, my Department operates in accordance with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards, published in November 2014.  The Public Appointments Service (PAS) has responsibility for managing an open, accessible and transparent system to support Ministers in making State board appointments. 

Details of the current membership of the state boards operating under the remit of my Department are published on the State boards website www.Stateboards.ie.

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