Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 427: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if any State board appointees have volunteered to waive their fee or expenses; the names of such persons; the corresponding savings to the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11897/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The three statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Board and the Social Welfare Tribunal. In addition, the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman comes under the remit of the Department but it does not have a Board.

Citizens Information Board Ms. Sylda Langford (Chairperson) and Ms. Noeline Blackwell have volunteered to waive their fees which will represent a combined total saving for 2011 and 2012 of €20,948.

Ms. Fiona Ward, the Department's representative on the board and her predecessor Mr. Daragh O'Connor are not entitled to any fees.

The following Board members did not claim any expenses in 2011:

Daragh O'Connor and Fiona Ward (Department representatives), Sylda Langford (Chairperson), Margaret Zheng, Laurie Cearr, Michael Butler, Martin Naughton, Josephine Henry, Noeline Blackwell, Michael McGuane, Sandra Ronayne and Eugene McErlean. It is not possible to calculate the saving to the State regarding unclaimed expenses.

Pensions Board

Mr. Kevin Finucane, a member of the Pensions Board, has volunteered to waive his fee resulting in a combined saving for 2011 and 2012 of €15,390.

Ms. Patricia Murphy is the Department's representative on the board and she is not entitled to any fees.

Social Welfare Tribunal

No remuneration is paid to the members of the Social Welfare Tribunal. The Tribunal meets only when and where required in order to deal with claims for Jobseeker's Allowance or Jobseeker's Benefit made in the context of an industrial dispute. Members can claim fees for attending hearings or meetings and are also entitled to claim for travel and subsistence expenses, where appropriate. It has not been necessary to hold meetings or hearings for a considerable time as there have been no claims associated with industrial disputes which required the attention of the Tribunal.

Office of the Ombudsman

The Office of the Ombudsman does not have a board and therefore no expenses in relation to the board members occur.