Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy is aware, the radical streamlining of State bodies is a key deliverable of the public service reform plan published in November 2011. This streamlining included 48 rationalisation measures to be implemented by the end of 2012, as well as a further 46 critical reviews to take place by the end of June 2012. Details of the bodies involved are set out in Appendices IIa and IIb of the plan, which can be found on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s website.

With regard to the 48 agency rationalisation measures outlined in Appendix IIa of the public service reform plan, which were already decided on by the Government, significant progress has been made by the responsible parent Departments on the implementation of these measures. In just one case the Government has decided not to proceed with the measure at this time, namely, the proposal to absorb the national cancer registry into the Department of Health. All the others are proceeding or have been completed.

The Deputy is inquiring about the outcome of the 46 critical reviews which were undertaken during last year as part of the public service reform plan. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform updated his Cabinet colleagues on 31 October 2012 on the status of these 46 critical reviews of further potential agency rationalisation measures. The outcome from these reviews are listed in the table, which will be made available to Deputies along with a copy of this reply. Broadly speaking, 24 of the critical reviews, involving a total of 116 bodies, recommended proceeding with merger/rationalisation. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform requested his Cabinet colleagues to bring forward a timeline for full implementation of these by the end of 2013. Ten reviews did not recommend proceeding with the proposed actions. The Minister has asked these Departments to bring forward alternative proposals to improve shared services, operational synergies and so forth between the bodies mentioned, where appropriate. Four reviews are not fully finalised and eight reviews were deferred due to wider external factors. These reviews are predominantly in the health sector and will be considered in due course.

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