Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 72: To ask the Minister for Social Protection his views on the concerns expressed by the Pensions Board regarding its capacity to carry out its functions adequately due to a shortage of staff and a lack of key skills. [27990/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Pensions Board is a regulatory body operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection. The statutory role of the Board is to monitor and supervise the operation of the Pensions Act 1990. This involves the regulation of occupational pension schemes and Personal Retirement Savings Accounts and the provision of advice to the Minister for Social Protection on pension matters generally.

The operations of the Pensions Board are financed by annual fees payable to it by occupational pension schemes and by providers of Personal Retirement Savings Accounts. As at 1 June 2010 the Board had 37.6 whole time equivalent permanent positions and one temporary position, giving a total staff complement of 38.6. I recognise that it is important that the Pensions Regulator has sufficient resources to carry out his functions. The question of additional resources is currently being examined by the Department of Finance.