Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

First there was one body, the NESC, which was, as the Taoiseach said, set up in 1973 and has produced a large number of reports over the years. Then there was the NESF, which has done great work, and then the partnership body, the NCPP. The National Economic and Social Development Office was then set up to co-ordinate these three bodies and provide shared services for them. Next, the Government decided it would amalgamate the three former bodies into one by absorbing the NESF and the NCPP into the NESC. However, it left in place NESDO. Thus, we now have one body, the NESC, and one body to co-ordinate it, NESDO. When the then Minister of State, Deputy Carey, was introducing this legislation in the House he told us that NESDO was being left in place in case the Government decided to create any other bodies and that it would be necessary to have a co-ordinating body in place should the Government decide to create another body under its remit.

What is now the function of NESDO, since there is now only one body to co-ordinate? How many staff does it have and how much does it cost? The Minister of State said, when introducing the arrangement, that he expected further savings to arise in future years as a result of the amalgamation. Can the Taoiseach give us some indication of what those savings are?

I note there are five Secretaries General on the NESC council. Does the Taoiseach consider that the presence of such a large number of Secretaries General compromises the role of the NESC, particularly when it comes to providing critical examination of the delivery of programmes by the State sector?

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