The Department of Social Protection funds three bodies that fall within the terms of the Deputy's Question. These are the Social Welfare Tribunal, the Citizens Information Board and the Pensions Board. In addition, the office of the Pensions Ombudsman comes under the remit of the Department but it does not have a Board. No body under the aegis of my Department has been merged or abolished since the formation of the Government.
The integration of the regulatory functions of the Pensions Board with the Financial Regulator and the merging of the Pensions Ombudsman with the Financial Services Ombudsman are the subject of a critical review under the Public Service Reform Programme. This review will include identifying any potential savings arising from such an amalgamation. In that regard, I have recently commissioned the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to review Ireland's pension arrangements.
As the OECD is also currently reviewing the direction of pension policy, including governance structures and will act as an independent expert to the critical review I expect the Critical Review Group to report to me within a similar time frame as the OECD Review Group. The Critical Review Group is due to have its first meeting in July 2012 and I expect to receive a report from both by year end. Following receipt of these reports, decisions in relation to the reforms as set out above will be taken.
