Mr. Aidan O'Driscoll:

We are undertaking a major transformation of the Department of Justice and Equality, which I have publicly described as the biggest restructuring of a Department undertaken in the history of the State. That is not an overstatement. One element of that is putting in place new governance functions on the criminal justice and civil justice and equality sides of the Department. That will provide an organisational platform for a new relationship between the Department and the agencies we oversee. Some 24 agencies, including the Irish Prison Service, report to the Department. The agencies vary in size, function and degree of independence. We will put in place a new governance function which will, at least, provide the organisational basis for a new relationship.

I mentioned in my opening statement that we are discussing with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform the issue of making the director general Accounting Officer and-or the appropriate authority for disciplinary purposes.