Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 December 2013
228. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total number of Irish quasi-autonomous NGOs that his Department either created or fall under his Department’s responsibility and were in existence when he became Minister and continue to exist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55143/13]
View answer229. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total number of chairpersons of State boards, agencies and regulators that fall under his Department’s responsibility that were chairpersons when he became Minister and continue to be chairpersons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55159/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 229 together.
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. 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. Further comprehensive legislation will see the transfer of water services functions from 34 water services authorities to Irish Water. The chairpersons of boards under the aegis of my Department have all been appointed since March 2011.
