Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 100: To ask the Minister for Finance the progress made to date in 2009 in the rationalisation of agencies announced in budget 2009; the savings generated to date in 2009 in each case and the source of the savings; the number of persons who have retired or relocated; and the value of savings and staff reduction as a proportion of the original provision. [45146/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government's decision to proceed with 30 rationalisation proposals was included in the 2009 Budget measures. The decision was informed by a set of central guiding principles, which were also set out in the 2009 Budget. These principles succinctly set out the Government's policy on the role that agencies should play in delivering public services. Accordingly, the rationalisation decisions were not driven solely by the need to find savings, although savings are a welcome and necessary element. The key objective was, and is, to move towards an effective and efficient agency structure that will ensure the delivery of quality public services.

Implementation of these proposals is a matter for each relevant Minister. The information available to my Department is that, to date in 2009, some 16 of the 30 agency rationalisation decisions have been implemented. Of the remainder, a further four are targeted for completion before the end of this year, four will be completed in 2010 with the remainder following in 2011 or later. The 16 rationalisations will deliver estimated gross savings of €3.4m in 2009, €6.8m in 2010 and a reduction of over 54 (whole time equivalents) in staff numbers. These figures are estimates because the identification of savings specifically due to rationalisation is difficult in an environment when savings due to other initiatives arise simultaneously. Such initiatives include the July 2008 announcements regarding efficiencies, professional fees, etc. along with more recent initiatives such as the moratorium on the filling of vacancies by recruitment or promotion.

Furthermore, agencies that are about to be rationalised tend to receive smaller allocations in their final year and their closing staff complements may also be depleted by an accelerated rate of retirements, departures and the non filling of temporary posts in the run up to the rationalisation. Accordingly, higher projected longer term savings will accrue in the future when the rationalisations have bedded down and efficiencies and synergies have been delivered in their new location compared to the relevant budgets enjoyed by these agencies prior to the relevant decisions on rationalisation. On this basis, annual savings of €9.7m should accrue in due course. In addition, it will be some time before some of the related savings will be delivered due to issues such as lengthy leases for premises and staff contracts. No estimate has been included for the disposal of assets such as surplus property. More specific and detailed information along the lines sought by the Deputy is a matter for the relevant Minister in each case.