Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)
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145. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of quangos operating under the aegis of his Department; the total number of directors sitting on their boards; the aggregate fees incurred by the State in paying the remuneration of directors of these quangos; the number of quangos that have been created since the formation of the Government; the number that have been disbanded over the period; the projected cost to the taxpayer of the establishment and operation of these new quangos; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49953/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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My Department’s agency rationalisation programme has seen the number of agencies reduce from 21 to 10. A further reduction to 8 is planned for 2014 with the merger of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland and the dissolution of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority.

The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as a subsidiary of Bórd Gáis Éireann to be formed and registered under the Companies Act.  Further comprehensive legislation will see the transfer of water services functions from 34 water services authorities to Irish Water. From 1 May 2009, fees for Board members were reduced by 10% in line with the Government decision to revise the fees for non-executive Chairpersons and members of Boards of State Bodies. From 1 January 2010, fees were further reduced in line with the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act 2009. In addition, in 2012, my Department contacted State Agencies under its aegis, requesting that Board members be offered the option to waive fees on a discretionary basis.

The information requested in relation to the agencies under the aegis of my Department is set out in the following table. The details of fees/remuneration for chairs and members of Boards reflect the level of fees attaching to the positions concerned. Where public servants are appointed to Boards, fees are generally not payable. Details in relation to the actual fees paid to individual Board members are available in the annual reports of the bodies concerned.

* Those PRTB/Rent Tribunal members of the Board who are entitled to Board fees are paid such fees on an attendance basis only. Details regarding the scale of fees and the amounts paid are published in the annual reports of the PRTB.

** The Boards of An Bord Pleanála and the Environmental Protection Agency are executive in nature, and Board members are full-time, salaried positions.