Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of State agencies identified for abolition or merger in her Department; the number of agencies which have been merged or abolished to date in her Department; the total net savings which have been made in respect of each State agency arising from its merger or abolition in her Department; the likely date for merger or abolition and the reason for the delay in respect of each State agency which has not already been merged with another State agency or abolished in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3008/11]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The primary aim of the programme of agency rationalisation within the health sector is to streamline service delivery, professional registration and policy making in a number of areas, through the integration and/or amalgamation of functions. The rationalisation programme involves a significant legislative programme and a considerable amount of work is ongoing in this area at present and considerable progress has been made in implementing the programme. In parallel, discussions with the agencies concerned are ongoing with a view to progressing the programme.

Efficiencies will derive over time from economies of scale and the elimination of duplication in areas such as recruitment, procurement, payroll and ICT systems. Savings also arise from the dissolution of Agency Boards, some of which attracted payment of travel and subsistence and /or Board fees.

With regard to staff numbers all staff employed by an Agency prior to rationalisation transfer to the employee of the receiving Agency. A reduction in numbers employed will only arise when staff leave on expiry of a contract at some future date or in the case of permanent staff reach retirement age.

The progress to date is as follows. The Women's Health Council was integrated into the Department of Health and Children on 1st October 2009. The Post Graduate Medical & Dental Board was successfully rationalised into the HSE on 1st January, 2009. The National Council on Aging & Older People was successfully subsumed into the Department of Health and Children in 2009. The Crisis Pregnancy Agency was subsumed into HSE in January 2010. The Drug Treatment Centre has a current target date for the merger of 1st March 2011. Legalisation is required to facilitate the rationalization of the Pre Hospital Emergency Care Council, the National Social Work Qualifications Board and the Opticians Board into the Health & Social Care Professionals Council. It is envisaged that the legislation will be finalised during 2011.

The Government approved the inclusion of provisions in the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2009 to disestablish the Children Acts Advisory Board (CAAB) and to subsume some of its functions into the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs on an administrative basis. The Bill was published on 16th September 2009 and completed report Stage in Seanad Éireann on 6th May 2010 and then completed Committee Stage on 11th November 2010. 6 staff members have been seconded to the Department of Health and Children with effect from 8 February 2010. This position will continue until the legislation is passed.

The National Cancer Screening Service has been integrated into the HSE's National Cancer Control Programme with effect from 1st April 2010. The dissolution of the National Cancer Registry and the transfer of its staff to the HSE will be dealt with under the Health Information Bill and is likely to be subsumed in the first quarter 2011.

The new Nurses and Midwives Bill was published on 22nd April 2010. The Bill provides for the dissolution for the National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery, and the transfer of the staff assets and liabilities to An Bord Altranais. Following enactment of the Bill, the Minister will commence a section which dissolves the Council and transfers staff etc. The Office of Tobacco Control was merged into the HSE on 1st January 2011. The Government has agreed to the retention of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and the Irish Medicines Board as independent stand-alone agencies.