Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 267: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of agencies, authorities, boards, committees, workings groups, tribunals, council services, task forces, agencies, or other quangos set up by him since February 2011; the number abolished since then; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7534/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Since my appointment in March 2011,the Taxi Regulation Review Steering Group has been set up under Minister of State, Alan Kelly. That group has now reported and completed its work. It is therefore no longer in existence.

I am actively pursuing the rationalisation programme set out in the Public Service Reform Plan with the relevant agencies. The plan sets out those agencies which are scheduled for rationalisation and a number of others which are subject to a critical review which is to be completed by June of this year.

Developments so far are that Dundalk Port Company merged with Dublin Port Company on 12 July 2011. Tralee and Fenit Harbour Authority transferred to the control of Kerry County Council with effect from 1 October 2011. Baltimore and Skibbereen Harbour and Kinsale Harbour transferred to the control of Cork County Council, and Arklow Harbour transferred to the control of Wicklow County Council, with effect from 1st January 2012. In addition, a ports policy review is at an advanced stage and I hope to publish a revised policy document in the coming months. Port Company restructuring is one of the issues being considered as part of the policy review.

I also recently announced that Dublin Tourism is being merged with its parent body - Failte Ireland - as part of the rationalisation programme. Furthermore, there is a review being undertaken with regard to the future tourism role of Shannon Development and its possible integration into Fáilte Ireland, while Coaching Ireland is being subsumed into the Irish Sports Council. It is intended that legislation will be prepared in 2012 to provide for the merger of the Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority in 2013.