Written answers

Tuesday, 14 February 2012

Department of Justice, Equality and Defence

Ministerial Appointments

9:00 pm

Photo of Shane RossShane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)
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Question 544: To ask the Minister for Defence if he will list all appointments to State boards and agencies made by him since he came to power; the persons appointed; the boards and agencies to which they were appointed; the remuneration details of each appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7819/12]

Photo of Alan ShatterAlan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The bodies under the aegis of my Department are the Civil Defence Board, the Army Pensions Board and the Board of Coiste an Asgard. The Civil Defence Act 2002 provides that the Board shall consist of at least eight but not more than fourteen members who shall be appointed by the Minister for Defence. Legislation is currently being drafted to dissolve the Civil Defence Board and transfer the functions of the Board back into the Department of Defence. I appointed the current Board as an interim measure from 11 July 2011.

Membership of the interim Board appointed from 11 July 2011 is set out in the table.

Nominating Bodies
Civil Defence Board Chairperson
Mr. Brian SpainDirector, Department of DefenceNominated by Minister for Defence
Civil Defence Board Members
Mr. Cathal DuffyPrincipal Officer, Department of DefenceNominated by the Minister for Defence
Ms. Clare TiernanPrincipal Officer, Department of DefenceNominated by the Minister for Defence
Mr. Robert MooneyPrincipal Officer, Department of DefenceNominated by the Minister for Defence
Mr. Bill SmithDirector General, Civil Defence BoardAppointed as Director General, Civil Defence Board
Mr. Ned GleesonCounty Manager, Limerick City CouncilNominated by City & County Managers Association
Mr. Keith LeonardAssistant Fire AdvisorNominated by the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government
Dr. Barbara RaffertyNominated by Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland
Ms. Becci CantrellNominated by the Environmental Protection Agency
Ms. Veronica FordeAssistant Civil Defence OfficerNominated by the Civil Defence Officers Association
Lt. Col. Tony KellySSO, Defence ForcesNominated by the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces
Detective Superintendent Orla Mc PartlinAn Garda SíochánaNominated by the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána
Mr. Fergal ConroyElected volunteer member of Civil Defence
Ms. Eileen JoyceElected staff member of the Civil Defence Board

There is no remuneration attached to membership of the Civil Defence 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 Finance. The chairperson and the civilian doctor are entitled to annual fees of €7,618 and €5,079 respectively. 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.

The position of Army Medical Corps ordinary member recently became vacant due to retirement, and I have appointed Commandant Adam Lagun to the Board on the recommendation of the Chief of Staff. As the Army Pensions Act 1927 specifies that one of the ordinary members must be an officer of the Army Medical Corps, this position was not advertised.

In the context of settling the Estimates for the Department of Defence for 2010, the Government decided that the national sail training scheme operated by Coiste an Asgard would be discontinued as recommended in the Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure. As a result, no funding was provided in 2010 or 2011. No appointments have been made since that decision was taken and the Board will be dissolved shortly. There is no remuneration attached to membership of the Board of Coiste an Asgard.

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