Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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493. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will list the regulators which are accountable to her Department; the administrative cost of operating each regulator in 2012; the accommodation costs and the number of staff employed; the total income and expenditure in 2012 for each regulator; her plans to amalgamate some regulatory offices and to amalgamate some regulatory processes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29418/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As there is no single approved definition of a regulatory body in terms of public service regulators, it is quite difficult to reply categorically to this question. However, an acceptable definition of public service regulator might be that it has functions in at least two of the following three areas of activities: the formulation of goals, the making of rules, [and/or] the setting of standards; monitoring, gathering information, scrutiny, inspection, audit and evaluation; and enforcement, modifying behaviour, applying rewards and sanctions.

As a result, there is one body under the aegis of my Department that might be considered to fall within this definition of regulator, namely the Adoption Authority of Ireland. The Authority is an independent quasi- judicial statutory body appointed by Government to regulate adoption in Ireland. The total cost of running the Authority during 2012 is estimated at €2.265 million and there are currently 24.65 whole-time equivalents employed. Due to the nature of the work of the Authority, I have no plans to amalgamate any of its functions or roles with other regulators. That said, administrative efficiencies are always under consideration and the Authority already utilises shared service facilities in terms of its finance and ICT functions and I will continue to support the Authority in terms of maximising any other efficiencies that it identifies.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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494. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will outline in tabular form the number of semi-State organisations currently in operation under the aegis of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29809/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm that there are no semi-state organisations currently in operation under the aegis of my Department.

I would like to inform the Deputy there are four agencies which are funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI); the Family Support Agency (FSA); the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) and the Ombudsman for Children (OCO). Gaisce also comes under the remit of my Department. With effect from 1 January 2012, I have taken responsibility for the Children Detention Schools as provided in Part 10 of the Children Act 2001.

As the Deputy may be aware, work is well underway on the establishment of the new Child and Family Agency including the drafting of the required legislation. This important legislation provides for the subsuming of functions from three separate agencies; namely the HSE, and also the Family Support Agency and the National Educational Welfare Board which both currently come under the remit of my Department. The legislation will be published shortly and it is my intention that the CFA will assume statutory responsibility for services for children and families in 2013. Once legislation has been enacted, the Agency will formally come under the remit of my Department.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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495. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will outline the number of new semi-State organisations under her aegis which have been established since March 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29822/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm that no semi-state organisations come under the remit of my Department and no new semi-state organisations have been established since March, 2011.

I would like to inform the Deputy there are four agencies which are funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI); the Family Support Agency (FSA); the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) and the Ombudsman for Children (OCO). Gaisce also comes under the remit of my Department. With effect from 1 January 2012, I have taken responsibility for the Children Detention Schools as provided in Part 10 of the Children Act 2001.

As the Deputy may be aware, work is well underway on the establishment of the new Child and Family Agency including the drafting of the required legislation. This important legislation provides for the subsuming of functions from three separate agencies; namely the HSE, and also the Family Support Agency and the National Educational Welfare Board which both currently come under the remit of my Department. The legislation will be published shortly and it is my intention that the CFA will assume statutory responsibility for services for children and families in 2013. Once legislation has been enacted, the Agency will formally come under the remit of my Department.