Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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539. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of State agencies and public bodies that have been merged or abolished in each year since 2011, under the remit of his Department; the annual savings associated with each body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21787/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Of the forty six bodies listed as candidates for critical review by end of June 2012 in the Government’s Public Service Reform Plan, published in November 2011 by the Department for Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) three from my Department were reviewed for possible abolition or merger:

- National Milk Agency- to consider abolishing or merging with Bord Bia

- Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) – to consider subsuming certain functions into this Department. The marketing functions of BIM had been transferred to Bord Bia prior to the period in question.

- Irish Marine Development Office– to consider functions to be subsumed into the Marine Institute

Following the outcomes of these reviews it was decided that the National Milk Agency will not be abolished nor merged with Bord Bia. BIM’s functions will not be subsumed into this Department and as the Irish Marine Development Office was already integrated with the Marine Institute from an administrative perspective prior to the review, no further action is required.