Written answers
Tuesday, 5 February 2008
Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
Departmental Bodies
9:00 pm
Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 451: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the statutory bodies for which he has responsibility; and the date of establishment of each of these statutory bodies. [3086/08]
Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 452: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the annual operating cost for each of the past five years of each statutory body for which he has responsibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3101/08]
Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to answer Questions Nos. 451 and 452 together.
As the Deputy will be aware this Department was established in June 2002 and, as requested, I set out below a Table detailing the statutory bodies that I have responsibility for and the annual operating costs for these bodies over the last five years.
The Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board was dissolved on 4th January 2006 in accordance with the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Act 2005. A reconstituted Board (Dormant Accounts Board) was established under the same legislation.
The fees, costs and expenses incurred by the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursement Board were met directly from the Dormant Accounts Fund and no staff was directly employed by the Board. Details of the fees, costs and expenses incurred by the Board from its establishment to its dissolution in January 2006 are available in Annual Reports produced and published by the Board. These are available in the Dáil library.
For the sake of completeness, I should add that the amounts detailed in the table may not reflect the full operating budget in each case as some of the bodies receive income/funding from sources other than this Department.
| Table: Date of Establishment and Operating Costs of statutory bodies under the ambit of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. | ||||||
| Name of Body/Board/Agency/ Authority | Date of Establishment | Operating Costs | Operating Costs | Operating Costs | Operating | Operating |
| An Foras Teanga – comprising | ||||||
| Foras na Gaeilge | 2 Nollaig 1999 | €13.06m | €13.59m | €13.05m | €14.36m | €15.07m |
| Tha Boord o Ulster-Scotch | 2 Nollaig 1999 | €0.55m | €0.66m | €0.67m | €0.76m | €0.92m |
| Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge (functions transferred to Foras na Gaeilge w.e.f. 1 January 2008. | 1952 | €922,000 | €950,000 | €1.343m | €950,000 | €.074m |
| Board of the Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests for Ireland | 19th Century. | €336,000 | €310,000 | €335,000 | €364,000 | €382,000 |
| Dormant Accounts Board | 4th January 2006 | n/a | n/a | n/a | Outturn €157,905, on fees and expenses, met from the Dormant Accounts Fund | Outturn €226,207.30 fees and expenses, met from the Dormant Accounts Fund |
| Údarásna Gaeltachta | 1979 | €32.720m** | €33.193m** | €36.655m** | €42.776m** | €39.963m** |
| Western Development Commission (WDC) | 1999 | €1.385m | €1.563m | €1.792m | €2.224m | €2.495m |
| Oifig Choimisinéir na dTeangacha Oifigiúla | 2004 | NIL | €500,000 | €700,000 | €731,000 | not available |
| Waterways Ireland | 1999 | €22.293 m | €28.783m | €30.054m | €34.133m | €36.218m |
| *The amounts shown above do not reflect the full operating budget in each case as some of the bodies receive income/funding from other sources. | ||||||
| **Údarás na Gaeltachta voted expenditure. |
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 453: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of task forces currently operating in his Department; the membership and terms of reference; the name of each one; the estimate cost of the taskforce; if he will report on the progress being made by the task force; if they have made any recommendations to him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3159/08]
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 454: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the taskforces established under the auspices of his Department in the past five years; the recommendations made by each taskforce; the progress being made in implementing these recommendations; if specific recommendations have been rejected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3174/08]
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 455: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the taskforces established under the auspices of his Department in the past five years; the cost of these taskforces in terms of administrative support, expenses, research and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3189/08]
Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 453 to 455, inclusive, together.
I presume the Deputy is referring to high level committees that Departments establish from time to time to consider and advance particular strategic issues. In this context, my Department has set up no such task force since it was established in June 2002.
However, the Deputy may wish to note that my Department supports the work of 14 Local Drugs Task Forces and 10 Regional Drugs Task Forces. The Task Forces include representatives of the relevant statutory agencies as well as the community and Voluntary sector. Each Task Force is currently implementing an action plan for their areas, supporting a broad range of community based projects in the areas of supply reduction, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. The budget for the Task Forces in 2008 is €35m approx.
Although the questions refer to task forces, for completeness sake, I would like to also inform the Deputy that my Department also has a number of advisory groups, amongst which are Forum na Gaeilge and Comhairle na Tuaithe.
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