Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senator for his kind words. The context in which financial provisions have been made by the Government for the Irish Human Rights Commission, the Equality Authority and the Combat Poverty Agency, which operates under the aegis of the Department of Social and Family Affairs, was outlined in the Budget Statement of 14 October. That context is the wholly exceptional circumstances in which decisions on the spend for 2009 have been made having regard to the need for substantial savings. While the Minister has always accepted that the reduced budgets will cause some difficulties for the commission and the authority, he is satisfied that sufficient funding has been provided to the bodies to enable them to discharge their core activities in 2009. He has decided that the main priority in the justice area in 2009 will be to tackle crime and the funding decisions in the Department broadly reflect that priority.

The Minister believes it is unarguable, and well recognised, that the budget announcement to integrate the administrative and back office facilities of the Equality Authority and Irish Human Rights Commission will go some way to reducing costs in 2009. Further substantial saving of approximately €300,000 or 10% of the authority's budget will be realised by the completion of the transfer of the Equality Authority staff to Roscrea. In line with Government policy, the Minister has also asked the bodies to reduce significantly their spending on consultants, advertising, promotional activities and other non-core items. A similar request has been made to all other bodies under the aegis of the Department.

The Minister has informed the bodies in question that any savings made in meeting the costs of discharging their core functions can be used to supplement their budgets. This does not mean there will be an increase in the published budget of either body, or that the savings can be used for advertising or other public relations activities. In other words, the Minister does not propose to use the savings they might make to meet other expenditure requirement across his Vote group.

The Irish Human Rights Commission and the Equality Authority currently operate from separate Dublin city centre office premises which have a cumulative per annum rental cost of more than €800,000. The Equality Authority is paying an annual rent of €402,000 for its premises on Harcourt Street and it spends a further €40,000 on parking facilities. On the other hand, the annual rent in Roscrea is €102,000. To those who think the Equality Authority, by being in Roscrea, will somehow not function as well as in Dublin, the Minister asked me to make the point that other offices in the Department that have decentralised have managed the change admirably. The authority is staffed by civil servants who are accustomed to changes of role within an organisation and are well suited to meeting the challenge of new work in a new working environment.

The Minister firmly believes that significant efficiencies and savings can be realised by both bodies, and possibly others, sharing office facilities. Other areas where savings can be made are likely to include shared IT and telecommunications facilities. In the case of the authority, more than €30,000 will be saved from the reduction in the use of public relations and consultants. The Equality Authority recently spent €230,000 on an anti-ageism campaign. There are good and sound reasons in the current economic climate to question expenditure of this kind. Finally, the Minister asked me to remind the House that the 2009 provision for the Equality Tribunal, which adjudicates on individual claims of inequality, has been increased by 15%, to reflect the priority that should be given to people who have a grievance in this respect.

The Government's decision to integrate the Combat Poverty Agency and the Office for Social Inclusion within the Department of Social and Family Affairs was informed by the findings of a review of the Combat Poverty Agency which was undertaken on foot of a Government Decision on 6 June 2007. As the Combat Poverty Agency is established under statute, legislative changes will be required to alter its status. The Minister for Social and Family Affairs intends to bring proposals in this regard to Government in the coming weeks.

It is not her intention that the Combat Poverty Agency will be simply absorbed into the Office for Social Inclusion in its existing form.