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 Authority, the Pensions Council, the Pensions Ombudsman (which does not have a Board) and the Social Welfare Tribunal.

Details of board appointments/vacancies since March 2011 are set out in the table.

Agency/Board	Number of Appointments to State Boards	Number of Vacancies	Number of vacancies Publically Advertised	Number of appointments made from the Public Advertisement Process
Citizens Information Board	5	8	3	1
Pensions Board (up to March 2014)	0	0	0	0
Pensions Authority-established March 2014 (formerly the Pensions Board)	3	0	0	0
Pensions Council	0	0	0	0
Social Welfare Tribunal	6	6	0	0

Citizens Information Board

The number of appointments includes a representative of the Department of Social Protection and a staff representative of the Citizens Information Board which did not require public advertisement.

There are currently three vacancies on the Citizens Information Board.

Pensions Board

The Pensions Board was renamed the Pensions Authority with effect from 7 March 2014.

Pensions Authority

The legislation governing appointments to the Board of the Pension Authority is the First Schedule to the Pensions Act 1990 (No. 25 of 1990), as amended by the Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2013. The Pensions Authority consists of three members. Appointments are made in accordance with this legislation

Pensions Council

The Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 provided for the establishment of a new body called the Pensions Council.

The Pensions Council will be made up of a chairperson and not less than 8 and not more than 12 ordinary members. The ordinary members will include:

- The Pensions Regulator;

- A representative of the Department of Social Protection;

- A representative of the Central Bank;

- A representative of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform;

- No fewer than 4 and not more than 8 other members with specialist knowledge, skills or expertise.

The recruitment process for “other members” of the Pensions Council was conducted through the Public Appointments Service (PAS). People interested in serving as members of the Pensions Council were invited to make expressions of interest to the PAS earlier this year, and 56 such applications were received. These are currently being considered.

A Chairperson for the Council, has been announced, but will not be formally appointed until the membership of the Council has been finalised.

Social Welfare Tribunal

There were 6 appointments to the Board of the Social Welfare Tribunal since March 2011. A new member of the Board was appointed with effect from 24 October 2011 as a replacement for a member who resigned. The term of office for the board expired in October 2012 and 5 appointments were made at that time.

The revised Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies does not apply to the Social Welfare Tribunal due to its structure and purpose.