Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 126: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the current nominations for vacancies on boards of statutory agencies under the remit of his Department. [15836/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The five statutory agencies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Pensions Board, the Combat Poverty Agency, Comhairle, the Family Support Agency and the Social Welfare Tribunal.

The Pensions Board was established in December 1990 under the Pensions Act 1990 and comprises 17 members, including the chairperson. The role of the board is to monitor and supervise the provisions of the Pensions Acts, as amended, relating to occupational pensions; and to advise the Minister on all matters relating to its functions and on matters relating to pensions generally. There are currently no vacancies on the Pensions Board.

The Combat Poverty Agency, CPA, was established in September 1986 under the Combat Poverty Agency Act 1986 and comprises 16 members, including the chairperson. The main functions of the agency are to advise the Minister for Social and Family Affairs on all aspects of economic and social planning in respect of poverty; to initiate and evaluate measures aimed at overcoming poverty; and to promote greater public understanding of the nature, causes and extent of poverty and the measures necessary to overcome it. There are currently no vacancies on the board of the Combat Poverty Agency.

Comhairle was established on 12 June 2000 under the provisions of the Comhairle Act 2000. It has a board of 20 members, including a chairperson. Comhairle is responsible for supporting the provision of independent information, advice and advocacy services for citizens throughout the country, including people with disabilities. There are currently three vacancies on the board of Comhairle and there are no nominating bodies in respect of those vacancies.

The Family Support Agency was established on 6 May 2003 under the Family Support Agency Act 2001 and comprises 12 members, including the chairperson. The remit of the Family Support Agency is to provide a family mediation service; support, promote and develop the provision of marriage and relationship counselling and other family supports; support, promote and develop the family and community; and to undertake research, provide and disseminate information about parenting and family issues and provide advice to the Minister on matters relating to its functions.

Persons are selected for appointment to the board on the basis that they have a special interest or expertise in matters relating to the functions of the agency or matters related thereto. There are five vacancies due to rotation, which are due to be filled later this month.

The Social Welfare Tribunal is a statutory body which was set up in 1982 to deal with cases where entitlement to unemployment benefit or assistance is refused due to an involvement in a trade dispute. The tribunal is an independent agency. It is made up of a chairman and four ordinary members, two of whom are representative of workers and two representative of employers. The members are appointed by the Minister on foot of nominations by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, and the Irish Business Employers Confederation, IBEC. There are currently no vacancies on the Social Welfare Tribunal.