Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 705: To ask the Minister for Health the number of quangos, agencies and authorities that were established by his Department in each of the years 1997 to January 2011; the number of staff employed by his Department in 1997; the number of staff employed by his Department in January 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22584/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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1A total of 13 statutory bodies under the aegis of my Department have been established since 1997 as follows

The number of staff (whole time equivalents) employed in the Department of Health, based on the figures given to the Department of Finance Census Section for the specified years, are outlined below.

* Includes staff employed in the General Register Office and the Adoption Board. Does not include seconded in staff.

** Includes staff employed in the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, the Office of the Disability Appeals Officer and the Health Repayment Scheme Appeals Office.

From December 1997 until December 2003, the numbers employed at the Department increased steadily, from 433 wte to 656 wte. Subsequently, from December 2003 until January 2011, the numbers employed at the Department decreased to 437.06 wte. This reduction has been achieved as a result of a number of developments including:

- the establishment of the Health Service Executive, the Health Information and Quality Authority and the Adoption Authority and the transfer of certain functions from the Department to these bodies;

- the transfer of the General Register Office from the Department to the Department of Social Protection;

- the Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement;

- the Incentivised Career Break Scheme, and

- the moratorium on the filling of vacancies in the public service.

It should also be noted that the Department took on a number of additional responsibilities and functions during this period. Responsibility for Youth Affairs transferred into the Department and three agencies have been subsumed under the Government's rationalisation of agencies programme.