John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 188: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of bodies and agencies operated under the remit of his Department; the cost of each on a yearly basis; the name and number that have been abolished in the past four years; the name and number that have been amalgamated; the name of those to be abolished or amalgamated in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2747/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I can inform the Deputy that the main bodies within the remit of my Department include the Garda Síochána, the Courts Service, the Irish Prison Service and the Property Registration Authority in addition to 24 other bodies, details of which can be found in the appendices to my Department's most recent Annual Report available at www.justice.ie and in the Oireachtas Library. Full details of estimates associated with all the bodies concerned are contained in the Abridged Estimates Volume for Public Services 2010. The costs associated with these bodies for earlier years are contained in the Revised Estimates for Public Services for each of the years concerned. Copies of the Abridged Estimates Volume for Public Services and the Revised Estimates for Public Services are available at www.finance.irlgov.ie and in the Oireachtas Library. With regard to the abolition or amalgamation of bodies and agencies operated under the remit of my Department, I can inform the Deputy that the Garda Síochána Complaints Board and the Garda Síochána Complaints Appeal Board were established under the Garda Síochána (Complaints) Act 1986. The board ceased to accept new complaints when the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission opened its doors on 9 May 2007 and its staff and resources have steadily declined in line with its reduced workload. It continues, however, to have responsibility for a number of complaints which were already being investigated under its remit at that time. While most of these have been finalised, a number of them are the subject of ongoing litigation. When this work has been completed the then Minister will, under powers conferred on her/him by the Garda Síochána Act 2005, by order repeal the Garda Síochána (Complaints) Act 1986. The National Crime Council ceased operation in October 2008. The Remembrance Commission's term of appointment came to an end on 31 October 2008. Government funding to the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism ceased at the end of 2008. Some of its functions have been absorbed into the Office of the Minister for Integration. From June 2009, in line with the Budget Decision, secretarial support for the Classification of Films Appeal Board, the Censorship of Publications Board and the Censorship of Publications Appeal Board are provided by the Irish Film Classification Office. Subject to the enactment of the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill 2008 and the commencement of relevant provisions therein, the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner will cease to exist in 2010 and its functions will be subsumed into my Department. The Refugee Appeals Tribunal will be replaced by the Protection Review Tribunal at the same time. My Department is actively examining where common services or other resources can be shared to obtain efficiencies and reduce costs.