Michael D'Arcy (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 20: To ask the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport her views on whether there is greater scope for her Department to engage in the investigation of shared services between agencies that fall under the aegis of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27172/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department to date has taken a range of measures to optimise the use of resources across its agencies. There has been considerable re-organisation of tourism structures in the last decade, including the establishment of Tourism Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and the re-organisation of regional tourism structures. These organisations are aware of the need to ensure maximum return on the funds received from the Exchequer, and this is reflected in the close co-operation between the agencies in their operations as well as in their business planning.

In the culture sector, my Department has already considered the benefits that might accrue from the sharing of back-office services. As a consequence, by Government decision, the National Archives, National Library of Ireland and Irish Manuscripts Commission will be amalgamated into a new body, with enabling legislation currently under preparation in my Department. It is anticipated that the amalgamation will provide for a more effective use of resources, particularly in the human resource, corporate and information technology sections of these bodies. The National Library of Ireland and the National Museum of Ireland have already outsourced their financial functions, including payroll, to the Financial Shared Services Division of the Department of Justice and Law Reform.

In relation to the proposal to combine the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Crawford Art Gallery and National Gallery of Ireland while retaining their separate identities, consideration is being given to the amalgamation of the back-of-house services of the National Gallery of Ireland and the Crawford Art Gallery. Finally, Culture Ireland is to remain part of the Department rather than be established as a statutory agency and, therefore, continues to avail of the Department's corporate support functions.

In the case of the sports sector, it was decided not to proceed with the establishment of the Institute of Sport as a separate entity, so it continues to operate as part of the Irish Sports Council and to avail of its existing support functions. I can assure the Deputy that my Department will examine the scope for any possible further sharing of services in the context of the implementation of the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014, with a view to optimising the use of resources.