Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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564. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of agencies, boards or other bodies under the aegis of her Department that have been disbanded or amalgamated or whose functions were subsumed back into her Department since 2011; the number of such bodies set up by her Department since that date; the names of the bodies in each case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3398/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I would like to inform the Deputy that there are four bodies under the aegis of my Department.  These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Child and Family Agency, the Oberstown Children Detention School Campus and the Ombudsman for Children's Office. My Department also provides the primary source of funding for Gaisce, the President's Award. Gaisce is a limited company set up under the Companies Acts.

The Children (Amendment) Act 2015 provided for the amalgamation of Oberstown Boys School, Oberstown Girls School and Trinity House School on 1 June 2016.  

The Child and Family Agency Act, 2013 provided for the establishment of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. On its establishment in 2014, Tusla assumed responsibility for functions previously performed by the Health Service Executive relating to child welfare and protection.

The Child and Family Agency Act, 2013 also made provision for the transfer of the previous responsibilities held by the Family Support Agency (FSA) and the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) to Tusla with the aim of facilitating the greater integration of services for children and families. The transfer of these responsibilities from the FSA and the NEWB, both under the aegis of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, saw the disbandment of these organisations on the establishment of Tusla on 1 January, 2014.

In 2011, the Government decided that the Family Mediation Service should transfer from the Family Support Agency to the Legal Aid Board. This aimed to facilitate the use of mediation in family disputes in order to speed up the legal process, reduce cost and ameliorate the stress of contested court proceedings. The commencement order for Part 16 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011 gave effect to the transfer from 1st November 2011.

In September 2011, the Children Acts Advisory Board was dissolved by means of the commencement by the Minister of Health of Part 6 of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2011.