Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 298: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will list the details of all State appointments open to direct choice by her on 10 March 2011. [9157/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The three statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department are the Pensions Board, the Social Welfare Tribunal and the Citizens Information Board.

In addition, the Pensions Ombudsman comes under the remit of the Department. Procedures with regard to appointments are as follows:

The Pensions Board

Appointments to the Pensions Board are prescribed under the Pensions Act, 1990 (as amended). The Board, appointed for a term of five years, consists of a Chairman, to be directly appointed by the Minister for Social Protection and 16 ordinary members, who shall be appointed to the Board by the Minister as follows:

- two shall be representative of trade union members of whom one shall be a trustee of an occupational pension scheme,

- two shall be representative of employers' members of whom one shall be a trustee of an occupational scheme,

- two shall be representative of occupational pension schemes,

- one shall be a representative of the actuarial profession,

- one shall be a representative of the accounting profession,

- one shall be a representative of the legal profession,

- one shall be a representative of consumer interests,

- one shall be a representative of pensioner interests,

- one shall be a representative of the Minister for Finance, and

- one shall be a representative of the Minister.

The remaining three appointments are selected by the Minister for Social Protection. There is currently one vacancy on the Pensions Board and this vacancy will be filled in line with the legislative provisions.

The Social Welfare Tribunal

The Social Welfare Tribunal consists of a Chairperson and four ordinary members, two on the nomination of ICTU and two nominated by IBEC. The chairperson is nominated by the Department and requires a person with a judicial background or experience of administrative tribunals and knowledge of industrial relations.

All members are formally appointed by the Minister for Social Protection.

Citizens Information Board

The Citizens Information Board (formally Comhairle) was established in 2000. The appointments to the Board are set out in The Comhairle Act, 2000, as amended by the Citizens Information Act, 2007 and are set out hereunder.

The Board shall consist of 15 members, one of whom the Minister shall designate as a chairperson. The ordinary members of the Board shall include;

(a) one officer of the Minister,

(b) three members who represent persons with a disability,

(c) one member who shall be elected by the staff of the agency.

In making appointments to the Board the Minister shall have regard to the objective of there being not less than six members who are women and not less than six members who are men.

Office of the Pensions Ombudsman

The Pension (Amendment) Act 2002 provides for the direct appointment of the Pensions Ombudsman by the Minister for Social Protection. This office does not have a Board.