John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

194. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will outline the number of agencies or quangos established by his Department in each of the past ten years and the cost to the State of funding each one. [24929/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

There are three bodies under the aegis of my Department; the Army Pensions Board, established under the Army Pensions Act 1927, the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces, established pursuant to the provisions of the Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Act 2004 and the External Oversight Body of the Defence Forces (EOB), which was placed on a Statutory basis on 1 December 2024.

Following publication of the report of the Independent Review Group (IRG) an External Oversight Body of the Defence Forces (EOB), was established, initially on a non-statutory basis. The Body’s Terms of Reference were published in July 2023. The role of the Body is to oversee the implementation of the relevant recommendations of the Report of the Independent Review Group (IRG), to increase transparency and accountability in the Defence Forces, and to bring about necessary changes to the workplace culture and behaviour in the Defence Forces.

The Defence (Amendment) Act 2024, provided for the establishment of a statutory Body to be known as Comhlacht Formhaoirsithe Seachtrach Óglaigh na hÉireann (the External Oversight Body). In accordance with the provisions of the Act, the Minister for Defence signed the commencement and establishment day orders bringing the statutory Body into operation on 1st December 2024. The Defence (Amendment) Act 2024, sets out the functions of the Body. Expenditure to date in relation to the External Oversight Body was €437,000 in 2024 and €209,000 at the end of April 2025.