Written answers
Thursday, 16 January 2014
Department of Environment, Community and Local Government
Departmental Bodies
Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
208. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of quangos, State agencies or organisations under the remit of his Department that have been merged, reformed or abolished since 2011; the details of each of these measures in tabular form; the cost saving or service delivery improvement which has resulted; how many more he expects to be merged, reformed or abolished and the timeline for same; if he will provide a full list of all agencies and organisations under his remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1976/14]
Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
The State Agencies under the aegis of my Department are as follows:
An Bord Pleanála
Dublin Docklands Development Authority
Environmental Protection Agency
Housing Finance Agency
Irish Water Safety
Housing & Sustainable Communities Agency
Local Government Management Agency
Private Residential Tenancies Board
Radiological Protection Institute Ireland
Western Development Commission
Pobal is a not-for-profit company with charitable status, which manages programmes on behalf of the Irish Government and the European Union.
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.
| Action | Status |
|---|---|
| Merge Local Government Computer Services Board & Local Government Management Services Board | Completed August 2012, new Local Government Management Agency established. |
| Merge 2 Regeneration Agencies in Limerick into Local Authorities | Completed in July 2012. |
| Subsume An Chomhairle Leabharlanna into existing public body | Completed November 2012 – subsumed by Local Government Management Agency |
| Comhar to be integrated into the National Economic and Social Council. | Completed January 2012 |
| Merge the Affordable Housing Partnership, National Building Agency and Centre for Housing Research into a new body | Completed August 2012 - Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency established |
| Discontinue the Dormant Accounts Board | Completed December 2012 |
| Merge Environmental Protection Agency and Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland | In July 2013, the Minister approved an Action Plan prepared by an independently chaired Merger Working Group (MWG) that sets out the actions necessary to complete the merger by June 2014. Implementation of the Action Plan continues and is on schedule to achieve merger in the summer of 2014 |
| Dissolve the Dublin Docklands Development Authority | the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (Dissolution) Bill 2014 when published will facilitate the transfer of functions to Dublin City Council |
The administrative functions of the Rent Tribunal have transferred to the Private Residential Tenancies Board.
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. The Water Services (No.2) Act 2013 provided for the transfer, in part, of water services functions from 34 water services authorities to Irish Water, which became the national water services authority from 1 January 2014.
The dissolution of An Chomhairle Leabharlanna resulted in savings in terms of annual operating costs of the order of €1m and an annual saving on rent for the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency of €120,000, due to the transfer of the properties of An Chomhairle to the Housing Agency. In addition, the NBA headquarters was sold in March 2012 for €2.84 million.
Agency staff numbers have fallen to 703 as of end of Q3 2013, the latest date for which figures are available, as compared to a peak of 951 at the end of 2008 – a reduction of 248 (26%).
No comments