Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 219: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number and names of organisations or agencies under the auspices of her Department which have been amalgamated or eliminated due to budgetary measures; the estimated savings in each case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42223/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The programme of rationalisation in the health sector involves a total of fifteen agencies as follows:

3 agencies are to be amalgamated to form a new Public Health and Medicines Safety Authority

Food Safety Authority of Ireland

Office of Tobacco Control

Irish Medicines Board

6 agencies are to be integrated into the Health Service Executive

National Cancer Screening Service — National Cancer Registry

Drug Treatment Centre Board

Crisis Pregnancy Agency

Post Graduate Medical and Dental Board

National Council for Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery

3 agencies to be integrated into the Health and Social Care Professionals Council

National Social Work Qualifications Board

Opticians Board

Pre Hospital Emergency Care Council.

My Department's measures for the rationalisation of agencies within the health sector have been prepared primarily in the context of the OECD's recommendations in relation to the need for a more integrated public service. While there is clearly a need to secure efficiencies from the rationalisation programme, the primary aim of these measures is to streamline service delivery, professional registration and policy making in a number of areas in the health sector, through the integration and/or amalgamation of function. Efficiencies will derive over time from economies of scale and the elimination of duplication in areas such as recruitment, procurement, payroll and ICT systems.