Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 401: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the date of establishment of the Environmental Information Service; if this group is still in existence; the purpose and role of this group; the number of members of the board of this group; the number of whom are appointed by himself; the person by whom the remaining board members are appointed; the expenditure of this group for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5367/08]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 403: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the date of establishment of the national Traveller accommodation committee; if this committee is still in existence; the purpose and role of this committee; the number of members of the board of this committee; the number of whom are appointed by himself; the person by whom the remaining board members are appointed; the expenditure of this committee for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5369/08]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 405: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the date of establishment of the designated areas appeals board; if this board is still in existence; the purpose and role of this board; the number of members of the board; the number of whom are appointed by himself; the person by whom the remaining board members are appointed; the expenditure of this board for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5372/08]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 406: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the date of establishment of the task force on special aid for the elderly; if this task force is still in existence; the purpose and role of this task force; the number of members of the task force; the expenditure of this task force for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5373/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 401, 403, 405 and 406 together.

The information requested is set out in the table. The bodies concerned are still in existence.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 402: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the date of establishment of Met Éireann; the number of members of the board of this body; the number of whom are appointed by himself; the person by whom the remaining board members are appointed; the expenditure of this body for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5368/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The Meteorological Service, later renamed Met Éireann, was established in December 1936 and, since its transfer to my Department in 2002, is an integral part of the Department. It has no Board of Directors. Funding provision is made within my Department's Vote, the details of which are published in the Estimates Volumes for the Department — copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 404: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the date of establishment of the Referendum Commission; if this commission is still in existence; the purpose and role of this commission; the number of members of the board of this commission; the number of whom are appointed by himself; the person by whom the remaining board members are appointed; the expenditure of this commission for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5370/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Section 2 of the Referendum Act 1998 provides that the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government may establish a Referendum Commission not earlier than the date on which a Bill proposing to amend the Constitution is initiated in the Dáil. It also provides that any such Commission is chaired by a former judge of the Supreme Court or High Court or a judge of the High Court, nominated by the Chief Justice, and that the ordinary members are the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Ombudsman, the Clerk of Dáil Éireann and the Clerk of Seanad Éireann.

A Referendum Commission has the statutory function to explain the subject matter of a referendum to the electorate, to provide any other relevant information which it considers appropriate, to promote public awareness of the referendum and to encourage the electorate to vote at the poll. Section 14 of the Act provides that a Commission stands dissolved one month after submission by it to the Minister of a report in relation to its work in respect of a particular referendum. A Referendum Commission was established in respect of the Citizenship Referendum which was held on 11 June 2004. Details of the costs involved, which were met by the sponsoring Department, are set out in the published report of the Commission on the referendum concerning the 27th Amendment of the Constitution, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library.