Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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159. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of new agencies and State bodies established since 9 March 2011 under the remit of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3346/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Local Government Management Services Board and the Local Government Computer Services Board have merged with the establishment of the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) in August 2012. The LGMA also took on residual functions from An Chomhairle Leabharlanna, which was dissolved as of 1 November 2012.

The Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency (HSCA) was established in 2012. It rationalises the functions of the National Building Agency (NBA), the Affordable Homes Partnership (AHP) and the Centre for Housing Research (CHR). The AHP and the CHR have been closed down and the NBA ceased operating in June 2011.

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.

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.