Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
211. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of personnel in his Department at Principal Officer level or above who, on retiring from that position, were subsequently appointed to a State or semi-State board over the past ten years. [34918/23]
View answerThe only State body under the aegis of my Department is the Army Pensions Board. The Board is an independent statutory body established under the Army Pensions Act 1927. The Act specifies that the Board shall consist of a chairman and two ordinary members. The chairman and the non-military ordinary member are appointed by the Minister for Defence with the concurrence of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The Army Medical Corps ordinary member is appointed by the Minister for Defence on the recommendation of the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces. No officials in my Department, who retired at Principal Officer level or above in the past ten years, were subsequently appointed to the Army Pensions Board.
On retirement, staff at all levels are advised of the provisions of paragraph 20 of the Code of Standards and Behaviour in relation to the acceptance of outside appointments or consultancy engagements following retirement, where there is the potential for a conflict of interest. The Code provides that a civil servant who intends to engage in certain outside employments within 12 months of retirement must make an application for approval to the Secretary General or (in the case of persons at or above Assistant Secretary) to the Outside Appointments Board. A copy the Code of Standards and Behaviour is provided also.
My Department does not hold information in relation to appointments to State or Semi-State Boards not under its aegis.
