John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 234: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism 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. [2737/10]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Department currently has fifteen bodies and agencies operating under its remit. Details of the financial allocations to these bodies and agencies are set out in the annual Estimates for Public Services and in the annual reports and financial statements of each body and agency which are available in the Dáil Library or on relevant websites.

In the same time period, in 2009, one agency was abolished, namely, Irish Genealogy Ltd., which was part funded by the Department. Funding is now being directed instead to the computerisation of pre-1900 Church birth, marriage and death records, some of which are now available on the free-to-view website www.irishgenealogy.ie. Computerisation of further records is in progress.

With regard to amalgamations in the same time period, in 2006, five regional tourism authorities were subsumed into Fáilte Ireland, namely, the South-East Regional Tourism Authority Ltd., South-West Regional Tourism Authority Ltd., Western Regional Tourism Authority Ltd., Midlands-East Regional Tourism Authority Ltd. and North-West Regional Tourism Authority Ltd.

In relation to the proposed amalgamation of the National Gallery of Ireland, Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) and Crawford Art Gallery Cork, as announced in Budget 2009, I am, having examining the matter in greater detail, and will bring reconsidered proposals to Government on the matter in the near future.

Also as announced in Budget 2009, the National Archives (which currently forms part of the Department) and the Irish Manuscripts Commission (which is funded by the Department) are to be merged with the National Library of Ireland.