Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 135: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht 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. [7521/12]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, my Department, as currently configured, was established on 2 June 2011 and therefore the available information is being provided from that date. I am assuming that the Deputy is not referring to routine internal committees and working groups, established within my Department to support the delivery of its goals and I have not included details of these. However, the following groups have been established since 2 June 2011: The Peatlands Council - established to respond to commitments set out in the Programme for Government and to assist Ireland in responding in a strategic way to the provisions of the EU Habitats Directive, which require Ireland to protect and conserve important peatland habitats; Inter-departmental committee to examine the feasibility of the implementation of the Creative Capital Report – Building Ireland's Audiovisual Creative Economy ; working group to review the operation of Part IV (Architectural Heritage) of the Planning and Development Act 2000; the High Level Steering Group and the Biodiversity Working Group under the New National Biodiversity Plan.

The Deputy should note that the Cross-representative advisory/working group which was set up last year to consult across the arts sector and recommend actionable steps in the area of philanthropy in relation to the arts has submitted its report and is no longer in operation. I should say that no other groups of the nature referred to by the Deputy were abolished since the establishment of my Department.