Written answers

Thursday, 20 January 2011

5:00 am

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 73: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of State agencies identified for abolition or merger; the number of agencies which have been merged or abolished to date; the total net savings which have been made in respect of each State agency arising from its merger or abolition; the likely date for merger or abolition in respect of each State agency which has not already been merged with another State agency or abolished; his plans to further reduce the number of State agencies, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2999/11]

Photo of Brian Lenihan JnrBrian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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1In Budget 2009, I announced 30 agency rationalisation measures involving a reduction of 41 bodies and the streamlining of certain other functions. To date, 19 agency rationalisations measure have been completed and information on these proposals, including estimated savings in terms of expenditure and staff reductions as reported to my Department is set out in Table 1 below.

Information on the outstanding measures is set out in Table 2. In summary, 7 measures have target completion dates in 2011 and progress is also being pursued in respect of four other measures. The Deputy will note that some of the measures marked down for completion in 2011 have already been partially implemented. As regards projected savings, the experience to date is that it is often difficult to make definitive savings projections when the functions of agencies and bodies are being transferred or consolidated. Such matters only tend to become clear at, or shortly after, the commencement of the implementation phase.

In addition to the general round of agency rationalisation referred to above, there have also been a number of other developments. Information on 6 additional rationalisation decisions involving a reduction of 23 bodies is set out in Table 3. I would also draw the Deputy's attention to Page 69 of the National Recovery Plan 2011-2014 where it is stated that the programme of State Agency rationalisation that commenced in 2008 will continue with a particular emphasis on:

· reducing the number and range of agencies;

· redeploying staff to areas of greatest need;

· improving governance and performance arrangements; and

· sharing services

The reduction in expenditure allocations over the period of the National Recovery Plan 2011-2014 in conjunction with revised employment ceilings will, accordingly, require continued progress across Departments and Offices in the rationalisation of Agencies as appropriate. Table 1

Completed Rationalisations – 1No. refers to the number of the proposal in the Budget measures.Savings 2009 (estimated figures in advance of outturns)Savings 2010Long-term Savings on an annual basis – after bedding downMax. Staff Nos (2006-09) WTECurrent Staff delivering services (end-09) WTEStaff Reduction WTE
12. Abolition of the National Crime Council. The 2009 allocation was €0.5m. It was serviced by Departmental staff resources that are now available for other work.€0.392€0.394m€0.394mn/an/an/a
23. Amalgamation of the Censorship of Publications Board & its Appeals Board with the Office for Film Classification – no saving included as this was an efficiency/effectiveness measure to ensure the ongoing existence of the function for when/if it is required in the future. The Irish Film Classification Office has a 2011 allocation of €1.2m, down from €1.4m in 2008.n/an/an/a
34. Cease funding of the National Consultative Committee on Racism & Interculturalism. 2008 outturn was €0.5m.€0.628m€0.628m€0.628mn/an/an/a
46. Merger of the Rent Tribunal and the Private Residential Tenancies Board completed on an administrative basis. The Rent Tribunal received €42,000 in 2008 and had an allocation of €37,000 in 2009. The PRTB will be self-financing from 2010 on. It received €3.8m in 2008, €1.0m in 2009 and no Exchequer support in 2010.0€0.07m€0.1m41.43401.43
58. Abolition of the Education Disadvantage Committee – the EDC received €0.1m in 2008€0.1m€0.1m€0.1m(comparator – 2008 allocation)n/an/an/a
69. Formal disbandment of the National Adult Learning Council – it received €50,000 in 2008. Council was disbanded in October 2008.€0.05m€0.05m€0.05m(comparator – 2008 allocation)n/an/an/a
710. Closure of the Centre for Early Childhood Development & Education - the 2008 allocation was €1.2m. Following its closure in November 2008, DES continued to provide €0.4m towards early childhood€0.83m€0.83m€0.83m716
811. Merger of the Central & Regional Fisheries Boards to form Inland Fisheries Ireland€0.3m (estimated savings)
912. Merge COFORD into D/AF&F. COFORD had a 2008 outturn of €4.3m and a 2009 outturn of €4.3m.-€0.182m€0.182m642
1013. Transfer of Bord Iascaigh Mhara marketing functions to An Bord Bia (2009 allocation of €17.2m current). This involved the transfer of 8 posts. 6 staff have transferred, a bereavement and the ISER have reduced this to 4. Savings to the running costs were a secondary consideration to the aim of creating a better integrated food marketing function, which has been delivered.-€0.15m€0.15m83 (end 2010)4 (end 2009)5 (end 2010)4 (end 2009)
1115. Provide for a new bus licensing regime, a contractual framework for the procurement of subvented transport services on a national basis, the amalgamation of the Commission for Taxi Regulation into the Dublin Transport Authority, which is to be renamed the National Transport Authority.1. Dublin Transport Authority : Completed 2009 – renamed National Transport Authority2. Dublin Transport Office: Completed 20093. Commission for Taxi Regulation :Completed 1 January 20114. Public Transport Licensing function of Department of Transport: Completed 1 December 2010 – Bus route licensing function 2010n/an/a
1216. The National Council on Ageing & Older People has been subsumed into the Office for Older People in the Department of Health & Children – when the merger is fully bedded down, D/H&C will be delivering this function within existing resources. 2007 outturn was €1.56m and original 2008 REV allocation was €1.82m€0.4m€0.4m€1.26m (comparator - original 2008 REV allocation)17710
1318. The Women's Health Council has been subsumed into the Department of Health & Children – when the merger is fully bedded down, D/H&C will be delivering this function within existing resources. 2008 outturn was €0.66m and original 2009 REV allocation was €0.64m€0.013m€0.126m€0.155m (comparator - 2008 REV allocation)752
1421. The Postgraduate Medical & Dental Board has been merged into the Dental Council. The Medical Council & the HSE. 2008 outturn was €10.36m, most its budget was transferred to the HSE.-€0.455m€0.455m523
1523. Amalgamate the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the Office of Tobacco Control and the Irish Medicines Board.The Government has agreed to the retention of the Food Safety of Ireland and the Irish Medicines Board as independent stand-alone agencies and that the Office of Tobacco Control is to be merged into the Health Service Executive. The Office of Tobacco Control was merged into the HSE on 1 January 2010.
1627. Culture Ireland was not established as a statutory body and remains a division of the Department. The original plans contained a projection of 12 posts versus the 6 now in place in the Department.€0.3m€0.3m€0.3m1266
1728. Closure & transfer of 4 military barracks has been completed. The closure of St. Bricin's is linked to the provision of modern medical facilities within the existing Departmental property portfolio and is also linked to the planned decentralisation of Defence Forces Headquarters to the Curragh.€0.833m(D/Def. projects €2.5m savings between 2009-2011. One third allocated to 2009)€0.833m(see note in column for 2009)€2.5m (from 2012 on)20(civilian workers)8(relocated to other barracks)12
1829. Integration of the Combat Poverty Agency and the Office of Social Inclusion in the Department of Social & Family Affairs. 2008 outturn was €4.1m and the 2009 allocation was €4.09m.€0.4m€2.4m€2.7m25.41411.4
1930. Assign MABS to the Citizens Information Board (CIB). The merger was pursued in the interests of efficiency, effectiveness and service delivery. MABS received €17.9m in 2009. The CIB, which has about 88 staff, has an Exchequer allocation of €28.1m in 2009.000n/a as the staff of MABs were not public servantsn/an/a

Table 2

Information on the outstanding Agency Rationalisation Decisions

Department of:Agencies/BodiesTarget Date of CompletionStatus of Legislation
EH&LG1. Local Government Management Services Board2. Local Government Computer Services Board2011 – The Boards are now in practice merged into the LGMA (Local Government Management Agency) and the legislation is pending.Draft Heads of a Bill to amend the relevant Corporate Bodies legislation have been approved by Government are now subject to the scheduling process of the Parliamentary Draughtsman's Office and the legislative programme.
Transport1. Air Accident Investigation Unit (in Department of Transport)2. Railway Accident Investigation Unit (in Railway Safety Commission)3. Marine Casualty Investigation Board2011Preparatory work on enabling legislation commenced within the Department.Air Accident, Rail Accident and Marine Casualty investigation Units will relocate to discrete shared accommodation shortly.
H&CChildren Acts Advisory Board2011Bill scheduled for Report State in Dail on 18th January 2011
H&C1. National Social Work Qualifications Board2. Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council3. Opticians Board2011Health & Social Care Professionals Act 2005Requires separate Bill
H&CNational Council for the Development of Nursing & Midwifery2011The Nurses & Midwives Bill was published on 22nd April 2010.
E&S1. National Qualifications Authority of Ireland2. Higher Education & Training Awards Council3. Further Education & Training Awards Council2011It is hoped to publish the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill during the current session. Allowing time for passage of the legislation and subsequent establishment, the amalgamation will take place in the second half of 2011.
H&C1. National Cancer Screening Service2. National Cancer Registry Board3. Crisis Pregnancy Agency4. Drug Treatment CentreCompleted - 20102011Completed - 20102011Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009Expected that Health Information Bill will be published in 2011Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009Legal issues have arisen in respect of the part ownership by a charitable trust of the Trinity Court premises and their explicit role in the day-to-day management of the Centre.
CE&GA1. Equality Authority2. Human Rights CommissionCE&GA are now responsible for these bodies and implementing the recommendations in the context of securing economies by greater co-operation between the Department and its agencies generally; not solely by focusing on bilateral arrangements between the two NCSSBsNone
ETI1. National Consumer Agency2. Competition AuthorityNo target dateDepartment expects to submit Heads of Bill to Government shortly
TCS1. National Archives2. Irish Manuscripts Commission3.National Library of IrelandNo target dateDraft Bill circulated to the bodies concerned for their observations
TCS1. Irish Museum of Modern Art2. Crawford Art Gallery3. National Gallery of IrelandIMMA and National Gallery to remain standalone entities, and Crawford Art Gallery can be amalgamated with the National GalleryAmalgamation of back-of-house services of the Crawford Art Gallery and the National Gallery is being examined.

Table 3 -Additional Rationalisations Decisions (outside the BUDGET 2009 announcements):

Department of:Agencies/Bodies
D/TaoiseachThe absorption by the National Economic and Social Council of the National Economic and Social Forum and the National Centre for Partnership and Performance.The two bodies were dissolved with effect from 1st April 2010 by Orders which were made under Section 35 of the National Economic and Social Development Office Act 2006.
D/EducationThe transfer of functions and resources of the Advisory Council for English Language Schools in Ireland (ACELS) to the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI);
D/EducationThe transfer of the functions and resources of the International Education Board Ireland (known as Education Ireland) to Enterprise Ireland and the Higher Education Authority (HEA).
D/EducationThe decision to reduce the number of VEC from 33 down to 16 was taken in 2010 and implementation is ongoing.
D/EnvironmentIn May 2010, the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency [HSCA] was established on an administrative basis to rationalise the functions of the National Building Agency [NBA], the Affordable Homes Partnership [AHP] and the Centre for Housing Research [CHR]. The AHP and the CHR have been closed down and the NBA is in the process of being wound down.
D/DefenceThe Government decided to disband the Irish Sail Training Scheme which was run and managed by Coiste an Asgard in December 2009. Up to then, the company was in receipt of an annual grant-in-aid from the National Lottery in the sum of approximately €800,000. The company has been inactive since that decision.

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