Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman for the opportunity to make a statement to introduce this Supplementary Estimate. These changes are largely technical. We do not seek new money, but the changes are necessary to reflect changes to organisational structures that we introduced. Members will know that many structural changes came to fruition in the course of this year. Local enterprise offices were established as bodies within local authorities under a service level agreement with Enterprise Ireland, and Forfás has been dissolved under legislation since August.

Shannon Development was dissolved on 5 September and in October we merged the Competition Authority with the National Consumer Agency. There has been a rationalisation of agencies, on which, as the committee knows, we are continuing to work. Legislation will be brought before the House, the Workplace Relations Bill, which is another major part of the reform agenda.

The Department has taken on two additional responsibilities. On 4 November the Government approved the establishment of the low pay commission on an interim basis, for which provision is being made in the Estimates. In October responsibility passed to the Department under the construction contracts legislation which was passed in 2013 by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The Minister of State, Deputy Gerald Nash, will take on responsibility for these two new areas. These proposals have been approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in line with the requirement to present the Estimates in a coherent way. I hope they are clear to members and I am happy to answer queries on them. I am armed with people who are experts in moving around Estimate lines. It is to be hoped we will be able to deal with any issue that arises.