Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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263. To ask the Minister for Defence if he will provide in tabular form all of the State agencies, bodies, organisations and working groups under his Department's remit; the core duties and functions of same; the number of staff at same; the budget of each for 2013 and proposed budget for 2014; the date of establishment of the agencies or organisations; and the legislation, primary or otherwise, from which they derive their powers. [37202/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The only body under the aegis of my Department with specific budget, staff allocation and established under legislation is the Army Pensions Board. The Army Pensions Board is an independent statutory body established under the Army Pensions Act, 1927. The core duties and functions are to investigate and adjudicate on applications for pensions, allowances and gratuities under the Army Pensions Acts, arising from the death or disablement of members of the Permanent Defence Force in the course of their military service. The Board determines the question of attributability to service in each case; assesses the degree of disability; and reports its findings to the Department which acts on the Board’s findings including the grant of appropriate benefits.

The 1927 Act specifies that the Board shall consist of a chairman as well as two ordinary members who must be qualified medical practitioners – one a civilian doctor and the other a serving officer of the Army Medical Corps. In addition, one member of staff from the Department of Defence is assigned to carry out the functions of Secretary to the Board. The holder of this position is an established civil servant.

The budget for the Board for 2013 was €83,000 and the allocation for 2014 is €70,000. The budget allocated covers the salary of the Board’s Secretary and also the fees and expenses of the Board. The salary of the military member of the Board is borne by the Defence Vote (36), as are the associated costs of the civil service staff in the Department of Defence who administer the Defence Forces pension code.