Written answers
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
Departmental Bodies
9:00 am
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 471: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the boards, bodies, authorities, agencies and quangos under the remit of his Department; the date of establishment; the number of members, staff and budget for each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21742/07]
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 472: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the boards, bodies, authorities, agencies and quangos under the remit of his Department that have been abolished in the past ten years; the number of members, staff and budget in the year of abolition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21757/07]
Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 471 and 472 together.
I have set out information relevant to the Deputy's query, in particular insofar as the current year is concerned. In light of the limited time available for reply and the wide range of organisations in question, it would not be feasible to compile the equivalent figures over a 10 year period without the application of a disproportionate amount of staff time. More detailed information is generally available in the Book of Estimates and in annual and other reports from the organisations in question. I can also advise the Deputy that I regard the use of the term 'quango' as entirely inappropriate in the context of the important public services provided by the agencies under my Department's aegis.
| Name of Board/ Body/ Authority or Agency under Remit of Department | Date of Establishment | Number of Members or Staff (2007) | Budget for 2007 | Board/Body/Authority or Agency under remit of Department abolished over last 10 years | Budget at time of abolition |
| Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal | 8th May, 1974 | 1 Tribunal Chairperson | €4.526m | — | — |
| Censorship of Publications Board | 16 July, 1929 | 5 Members | Nil | — | — |
| Censorship of Publications Appeals Board | 13 February, 1946 | 5 members | Nil | — | — |
| National Disability Authority | 12 June, 2000 | 33 Staff | €6.304m | — | — |
| Office of the Data Protection Commissioner | 1988 | 23 Staff | €1.176m | — | — |
| National Property Services Regulatory Authority | 10th October, 2005 | 6 Board Members | €0.482m | — | — |
| Legal Aid Board | 11 October, 1996 ** | 13 Board Members | €33.405m | — | — |
| Equality Tribunal | 1999 | 35 Staff | €2.14m | — | — |
| Equality Authority | 1999 | 12 Board Members | €5.6m | — | — |
| Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime *** | March, 2005 | 5 members | €1.1m (grant assistance to organisations assisting victims of crime) | — | — |
| Internet Advisory Board *** | February, 2000 | 16 members | €100,000 (research and developing awareness programmes on the downside of the internet) | — | — |
| Office of Film Censor | 16 July, 1923 | 22 Staff | €1.285m | — | — |
| Censorship of Films Appeal board | 16 July, 1923 | 8 | — | — | — |
| Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner | November, 2000 | 227 Sanctioned Staff | €2,297,900 (non-pay only) | — | — |
| Refugee Appeals Tribunal | November, 2000 | 31 Members Serving | €2,090,590 (non-pay only) | — | — |
| Independent Monitoring Committee for Refugee Legal Services | October, 1999 | 9 Members Serving | N/A | — | — |
| Name of Board/ Body/ Authority or Agency under Remit of Department | Date of Establishment | Number of Members or Staff (2007) | Budget for 2007 | Board/Body/Authority or Agency under remit of Department abolished over last 10 years | Budget at time of abolition |
| Courts Service | 9 November, 1999 | 17 Members | €102.8m | Courts Service Transitional Board (Replaced by Courts Service Board on 9 November, 1999) | N/A |
| Property Registration Authority | 2006 | 11 Members | €44,194m | Interim Board of the Land Registry/Registry of Deeds. Ceased to exist in 2006 in advance of the establishment of the Property Registration Authority, which is now responsible for management and control of the Land Registry and Registry of Deeds. | The interim board did not have a separate budget. A total of €527,702 in fees and €16,561 in respect of travel and expenses was paid to members in the 10 years to 2006. |
| Smithwick Tribunal of Inquiry | May 2005 | 1 Member | €1.092m | — | — |
| Private Security Authority | May, 2004 | 8 Members | €1.571m | ||
| Private Security Appeal Board | August, 2006 | 4 Members | Budget yet to be finalised. | — | — |
| Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains | May 1999 | 2 Members | Expenditure on the ICLVR is unlikely to exceed €0.3m in 2007 | — | — |
| Independent Monitoring Commission | January, 2004 | 4 Members | €1.536m | ||
| Independent International Commission on Decommissioning | September 1997 | 3 Members | €1.563m | ||
| Forensic Science Laboratory | 1975 | 72 Staff | €6,034m | ||
| An Garda Síochána | 1922 | 13,288 attested members | €1.4bn | — | — |
| Garda Síochána Complaints Board | 1987 | 9 Members | €1.598m | — | — |
| Name of Board/ Body/ Authority or Agency under Remit of Department | Date of Establishment | Number of Members or Staff (2007) | Budget for 2007 | Board/Body/Authority or Agency under remit of Department abolished over last 10 years | Budget at time of abolition |
| Garda Síochána Complaints Appeal Board | 1987 | 3 Members | — | — | — |
| Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission | 10 February, 2006 | 3 Members | €7.027m | — | — |
| Garda Síochána Inspectorate | 28 July, 2006 | 11 Staff including 3 inspectors | €1,998m | — | — |
| Morris Tribunal | 24 April, 2002 | 1 Member | €8.5m | — | — |
| Hartnett Inquiry | 14 September 2005 | 1 Member | €0.68m | — | — |
| Office of the Inspector of Prisons | April 2002 | 3 Staffs | €0.375m | ||
| Mental Health Criminal Law Review Board | September, 2006 | 3 Board Members | €0.3m | — | — |
| Parole Board | April, 2001 | 11 Board Members | €0.275m | Sentence Review Group | Not readily available |
| Prisons Authority Interim Board | April, 1999 | 12 Members | No specific budget for Board but expenditure on fees total €136,000 per annum | — | — |
| Arbour Hill Prison Visiting Committee | April, 1976 | 8 Committee Members | €18,000 | — | — |
| Castlerea Prison Visiting Committee | February 1997 | 12 Committee Members | €18,000 | ||
| Cloverhill Prison Visiting Committee | December, 2000 | 12 Committee Members | €18,000 | — | — |
| Cork Prison Visiting Committee | 1972 | 12 Committee Members | €18,000 | — | — |
| Limerick Prison Visiting Committee | Not readily available | 12 Committee Members | €18,000 | — | — |
| Loughan House Place of Detention Visiting Committee | May, 1973 | 12 Committee Members | €18,000 | — | — |
| Midlands Prison Visiting Committee | April, 2001 | 11 Committee Members | €18,000 | — | — |
| Mountjoy Prison Visiting Committee | Not readily available | 11 Committee Members | €18,000 | — | — |
| Name of Board/ Body/ Authority or Agency under Remit of Department | Date of Establishment | Number of Members or Staff (2007) | Budget for 2007 | Board/Body/Authority or Agency under remit of Department abolished over last 10 years | Budget at time of abolition |
| Portlaoise Prison Visiting Committee | Not readily available | 12 Committee Members | €18,000 | — | — |
| St. Patrick's Institution Visiting Committee | Not readily available | 12 Committee Members | €18,000 | — | — |
| Shelton Abbey Place of Detention Visiting Committee | May, 1978 | 10 Committee Members | €18,000 | — | — |
| Training Unit Place of Detention Visiting Committee | June, 1978 | 10 Committee Members | €18,000 | — | — |
| Wheatfield Prison Visiting Committee | June, 1989 | 11 Committee Members | €18,000 | — | — |
| Curragh Place of Detention Visiting Committee | Expenditure in last full year of operation €34,144 (2003) | ||||
| Fort Mitchell Place of Detention Visiting Committee | Expenditure in last full year of operation €34,144 (2003) | ||||
| Shanganagh Castle Place of Detention Visiting Committee | Expenditure in last full year of operation €38,280 (2001) | ||||
| State Pathologist's Office | 1974 | 5 Staff | €3.84m | — | — |
| National Crime Council | 1999 | 15 Members | €0.544m | — | — |
| Remembrance Commission | June, 2003 | 2 Staff | €1.25m | — | — |
| Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation | 28 March, 2006 | 1 Commissioner | €3.5m | — | — |
| Footnotes: | |||||
| *1 Executive Officer shared between Criminal Injuries Tribunal and Censorship of Publications | |||||
| **The Legal Board was set up on an administrative basis in 1979 and established as a statutory body on 11 October, 1996. | |||||
| ***Secretariat provided from Departmental staff |
In addition to the organisations identified above as having been abolished over the past 10 years, various entities will from time to time have been established with a specific and limited remit and upon completion of that remit will simply have ceased to exist.
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