Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Gilmore also inquired about the renaming, etc., of various Departments. A transfer of function order will have to be drawn up in respect of the various changes that were announced. That will be done in due course and in the normal way. The programme for research in third level institutions, PRTLI, will be transferred to the new Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation. The changes and rearrangements I announced yesterday are intended to provide better services to the public. On organisational changes, realignments will have to be made. In the first instance, there must be better co-ordination among existing organisations and the Departments. The purpose of the rearrangements is to ensure that the outcomes will be better for the people who need to access the services to which I refer. The various issues that arise will be dealt with over time.

The Deputy also inquired about costs. I made various changes to certain Departments and I sought to indicate the new emphasis that will be brought to bear by the relevant Department in respect of, for example, innovation. The latter is at the heart of an industrial policy that will drive the investment strategies of businesses that will be contacted by IDA Ireland and which will work with Enterprise Ireland. That is the purpose of what I have done. This is not the first occasion on which name changes have occurred. Whatever consequential changes arise, must be dealt with sensibly and in the normal way. There is nothing to disbar a Taoiseach or Government of the day from making new arrangements or ensuring that the names of Departments indicate what are the activities of those Departments.

The Deputy's first question related to by-elections. A decision has not yet been taken in respect of the holding of by-elections.

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