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Public Sector Reform Review

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 January 2013

Wednesday, 16 January 2013

Questions (906)

Patrick O'Donovan

Question:

906. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide in tabular form the number of agencies, bodies, boards, quangos or other entities, which are financed from, answerable to or established by her Department that have been abolished, merged or re-organised since this Government took office; the savings that have been realised since the changes were made; the level of staff reduction that has been achieved; if she will provide details of further agency reductions that she intends to pursue in 2013 [57873/12]

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Written answers

I would like to inform the Deputy there are four agencies which are funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI); the Family Support Agency (FSA); the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) and the Ombudsman for Children's Office (OCO).

In July 2011, the Government decided that the Family Mediation Service should transfer from the Family Support Agency to the Legal Aid Board. This is in line with the Government’s commitment to facilitate the use of mediation in family disputes in order to speed up the legal process, reduce costs and ameliorate the stress of contested court proceedings. On foot of the Government decision, the Family Support Agency established a transition project team to transfer 45 individuals, or 24.29 WTEs, in some 16 locations throughout the country and an annual allocation of almost €3m to the Legal Aid Board. On 26 October 2011, the Minister for Justice and Equality signed the commencement order for Part 16 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011 which gave effect to the transfer from 1 November 2011.

I can inform the Deputy that the FSA is due to be merged with the new Child and Family Support Agency (CFSA) which will be established this year. The National Educational Welfare Board is also due to be merged with the CFSA. Legislation for the establishment of the CFSA is being prepared by my Department as a matter of priority. It is anticipated that the Bill will be published and enacted in the course of this session and it is my intention that the CFSA will assume statutory responsibility for services for children and families in 2013.

The potential benefits of merging the back office functions of the Ombudsman for Children's Office into the Ombudsman/Information Commissioner's Office are currently being examined.

At this stage it is not possible to quantify the actual savings to date as a direct result of these developments.

It should be noted that following enactment of the Child Care Amendment Act 2011 the Children's Act Advisory Board was subsequently dissolved by means of the commencement by the Minister of Health of Part 6 of the Child Amendment Act 2011.

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