Statutory Agencies under the aegis of the Department

The Citizens Information Board

The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice and advocacy relating to social services and entitlements.

All appointments are made by the Minister and the legislative provisions governing board membership of the CIB are contained in the Comhairle Act 2000 and the Citizens Information Act 2007. The legislation provides that:

• The Board shall consist of fifteen members;
• One member of the Board shall be designated as chairperson;
• The period of membership shall not exceed five years;
• The members of the Board shall include one officer of the Minister, three members representative of people with disabilities and one member of the staff of the Board;
• Not less than six members of the Board shall be female and not less than six shall be male.

The legislation also provides that a member of the board whose period of membership expires by the effluxion of time (passing of five year term) shall be eligible for re-appointment as a member of the board. The last appointment to the Board was made in September 2011.

Current Board membership

The Pensions Board

The Pensions Board is a representative body and the composition of its membership is set out in the Pensions Act. The Board must comprise representatives of;

• Trade Union Members,
• Employers,
• Occupational Pension Schemes,
• The Actuarial Profession,
• The Accounting Profession,
• The Legal Profession,
• Consumer Interests,
• Pensioner Interests,
• The Minister for Finance, and
• The Minister for Social Protection.

While all of its members are appointed by the Minister, the Pensions Act provides that of the 16 members, eight are nominated by representative bodies and not the Minister. These eight members represent the first six of the interests set out above. This comprises two representatives each of the trade union and employer groups and one representative each of the occupational pension schemes, the actuarial, accounting and legal professions. There is no change proposed in these arrangements.

A new Board was appointed on 21st December 2010 for a period of five years. There is currently one vacancy on the Pensions Board to be filled by a nominating body.

Current Board membership

Social Welfare Tribunal

The Social Welfare Tribunal is a statutory body set up in 1982 to deal with cases where entitlement to Jobseekers Benefit or Jobseekers Assistance is refused due to an involvement in a trade dispute.

The legislation governing the operation of the Social Welfare Tribunal is provided for in Sections 331 to 333 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 2005.

The Tribunal consists of a Chairman and four ordinary members, two nominated by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) and two nominated by an organisation representative of employers. All members are appointed by the Minister for Social Protection for a term of three years.

Current Board membership