Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy also asked about the number of new bodies created. There is a small number of new bodies arising from the merger of two or more existing bodies, as envisaged under the rationalisation programme. There is still important work to be done and public service to be provided for the purpose of the rationalisation programme. For example, there are 16 new education and training boards doing what was previously done by 33 VECs. There is one new body called Quality and Qualifications Ireland doing what three separate bodies used to do.

A small number of other bodies have also been established where the Government has identified systemic failings of oversight, or considered a need for new resources to tackle priority issues around job creation and unemployment. We have established the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, which we were required to do under the stability treaty. We established NewERA to give proper advice on the control and ownership of State and semi-State companies. The Credit Union Restructuring Board has been established under the Department of Finance, the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board and SOLAS under the Department of Education and Skills, Microfinance Ireland under the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Irish Water and the Pyrite Resolution Board - a temporary board to deal with the pyrite issue - under the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, and the Department of Justice and Equality has established the Property Services Regulatory Authority and the Insolvency Service of Ireland to deal with the mortgages issue

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