Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 372: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the action he has taken to date to fulfil the commitment in the programme for Government to make substantial cuts to the number of State bodies and companies; the number of such bodies and companies under his remit; the number that have been reformed, merged or abolished since March of this year; the plan in place within his Department to fully deliver on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32855/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The number of State bodies under the aegis of my Department is 23, while there are no State companies.

In accordance with the Programme for Government my Department has reviewed the configuration of State bodies in the Justice and Equality sector.

The formal integration of the Family Mediation Service with the Legal Aid Board took place on 2 November 2011.

Work is underway to rationalise the various structures in the immigration area. Under the Immigration, Residence and Protection (IRP) Bill 2010 the functions currently carried out by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC) will be subsumed into the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of the Department. Also under the Bill, the Refugee Appeals Tribunal (RAT) will be replaced by the Protection Review Tribunal (PRT), which will be statutorily independent and will deal with appeals against a refusal to grant refugee status or subsidiary protection under the EU Qualification Directive.

Legislation is also being prepared within this Department to allow for the amalgamation of the Equality Authority and the Human Rights Commission to form a new Integrated Human Rights and Equality Commission. The objective is to have the new Body in place by February 2012.

The Government is also considering the merger of the functions of the Equality Tribunal with bodies in the employment rights area under the aegis of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.