Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)

Regarding the review the Taoiseach said is to be undertaken, will that deal only with the abolition of some quangos and the merger of others? Does he agree that it should also take into account the democratic deficit created by the quangos themselves, by the fact that we transferred power out of this House to such agencies? The Ministers under whose remit these operate no longer have power or authority to answer in this House, except in the most general sense, for the activities of the agencies that are spending taxpayers' money. Does the Taoiseach agree that to bring back that power here, returning it to the Ministers of the Executive in order that this House can question them about the activities of the quangos, is almost more important that merging those quangos or abolishing them?

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