Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

That it was not included in his title, however, showed the low status of the issue in the Department. The Minister of State must be aware that this is the second time that the heads of the Bill have been presented to Cabinet. Is he saying that although the legislation will not be taken until the autumn session it is realistic to presume that the new structure will be in place before the end of the year? There was nobody more critical of the deferral of elections than the Minister in 2007 when he spoke harshly about a predecessor, yet he is presiding over ongoing postponements of elections.

How much money will this restructuring save? What are the staffing requirements of this new structure? Will there be a voluntary redundancy scheme and what does it mean for senior staff within the existing regional boards? What are the savings in respect of accommodation? There was a proposal to decentralise to Carrick-on-Shannon and a history of serious waste of money on accommodation for the Central Fisheries Board. Will the Minister of State outline exactly the financial benefits of this proposal and how it will streamline the structures and accommodation needs?

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