Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)
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131. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of quangos operating under the aegis of her Department; the total number of directors sitting on their boards; the aggregate fees incurred by the State in paying the remuneration of directors of these quangos; the number of quangos that have been created since the formation of the Government; the number that have been disbanded over the period; the projected cost to the taxpayer of the establishment and operation of these new quangos; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49958/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Board, the Pensions Ombudsman (which does not have a board) and the Social Welfare Tribunal. No new State Agency or Quango has been created or abolished since the formation of the Government. Details of the numbers of directors sitting on each board (including chairpersons) and the aggregate fees paid are set out in the table below.

The Public Service Reform Programme provided for a critical review of the integration of the regulatory functions of the Pensions Board with the Financial Regulator and the merging of the Pensions Ombudsman with the Financial Services Ombudsman. The recommendations arising out of the Critical Review on the Pensions Board were approved by Government in April 2013 and were provided for in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2013.

It was recommended that the governance structure of the Pensions Board be restructured with two distinct arms as follows:

- Oversight of the Pensions Board will be undertaken by a three person body called the Pensions Authority. This will consist of a Chairperson and two officials from the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Finance;

- A separate unpaid Pensions Council, with a majority of members representing consumer interests, will be established to advise me on pensions policy. I expect to appoint the Chairperson of the Authority as soon as possible and expressions of interest for the appointment to the Pensions Council will be processed through the PAS system shortly. In relation to the Pensions Ombudsman, the Report recommended that this office be merged with the Financial Service Ombudsman and arrangements in relation to the implementation of this recommendation are under active consideration.

** No costs incurred in respect of the Social Welfare Tribunal since the formation of the Government in March 2011.