Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 127: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of State agencies, independent statutory bodies, State boards, or other quangos established by his Department since February 2011; the number which have been abolished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30597/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Since February 2011 the following, involving a limited period of operation in which to undertake discrete tasks, have been established by my Department: - two independent statutory Referendum Commissions, in accordance with the Referendum Act (1998), for the purposes of the two forthcoming referenda on the Constitution. - a Constituency Commission under the Electoral Act 1997 to review Dáil and European election constituencies, and, - a Local Government Committee, under the Local Government Act 1991, to carry out a review of local government arrangements in Waterford and to submit a report containing recommendations on whether the County Council and City Council of Waterford should be unified.

As part of a rigorous appraisal of the State Agencies under the aegis of my Department, the overall number of agencies is being reduced from 21 to 12.

In my most recent announcements, An Chomhairle Leabharlanna will be dissolved and the sustainable development role currently performed by Comhar, the Sustainable Development Council, is to be integrated into the National Economic and Social Council (NESC). The agency rationalisation/efficiency agenda will be kept under review insofar as other agencies under the Department's aegis are concerned.