Although no agencies or bodies under the aegis of my Department have been abolished or merged since 2011, the number of bodies within my Department's remit has been reduced substantially since 2009. In that year the Active Citizenship Office and the Forum on Europe were closed, while in 2010 the National Economic and Social Forum and the National Centre for Partnership and Performance were dissolved.
Following the Public Service Reform Plan published by the Government in 2011, in July 2012 the Government agreed to the recommendations of a Review undertaken by my Department of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) and the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO). This includes dissolving the NESDO while retaining the NESC as a statutory body. Work to implement the outcome of the Review, including development of the necessary legislation, is ongoing.