Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for what appears to be a concise answer. I accept his statement that there is no proposal to amalgamate but rather to align them. I am sure that will consist of a sharing of facilities and administrative staff. If that is the case, will it have a knock-on effect on existing administrative staff who are employed by these agencies? Can the Minister of State categorically say that funding that has heretofore been given to these agencies for distribution among the communities they serve and represent will be ring-fenced?

The Minister of State says he has spoken to some of the agencies' representatives. I have had numerous contacts with different agencies, Leader groups and development companies in recent weeks. I agree with the concept but will this process be negotiated to achieve the end result rather than being imposed? No success can be gained by imposition and a lack of negotiation in arriving at a solution one wants to see.

Can the Minister of State confirm that all funding for these programmes will be ring-fenced and can be expected to continue as heretofore? Will administrative staff be shared and, if so, will it mean a loss of jobs in those agencies? Is there a timeframe for the negotiations, when will they progress and when are they likely to conclude?

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