Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 November 2014
391. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of quangos set up since 2011 in his Department; the number of members of same; the cost and expense incurred to date including details of the briefs that they cover; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42517/14]
View answerThere is a substantial programme of reform underway within my Department in relation to agencies and public bodies. This will see a reduction in the number of agencies or bodies under the remit of this Department fall by 41. This includes the dissolution of 35 City and County Enterprise Boards, the merging of the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency, the integration of Forfás into the Department, the integration of Shannon Development into a new Shannon Group and the consolidation of the five workplace relations bodies into two.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, which was established on 31st October, has 5 members and has a dual mandate to enforce competition and consumer protection law and will build on the work of the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority to protect and strengthen competition, empower consumers to make informed decisions and protect them from harmful business practices.
The transfer of enterprise functions from Shannon Development to IDA, EI and tourism functions to Bord Fáilte took place during the last quarter of 2013. The legislation to merge Shannon Development and Shannon Airport into a new commercial state company, State Airports (Shannon Group) Act 2014, was enacted on 27 July 2014. Responsibility for the newly formed Shannon Group PLC rests with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.
As the Deputy may be aware, on 15th April this year, the 35 County and City Enterprise Boards were dissolved under the County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Act, 2014. On the same date, 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) were established. Under the legislation, the functions, assets and liabilities were transferred to Enterprise Ireland, and these functions are now being delivered on behalf of EI by the LEOs within the Local Authority structure.
Forfás was integrated into my Department with effect from 1st August 2014 under the Industrial Development (Forfás Dissolution) Act, 2014. As part of this integration the functions of the Irish National Accreditation Board were transferred from Forfás to the Health and Safety Authority.
A Reform Programme also underway will deliver a two tier Workplace Relations structure by merging the activities of the National Employment Rights Authority, the Labour Relations Commission, the Equality Tribunal and the first instance functions of the Employment Appeals Tribunal and the Labour Court into a new Body of First Instance, to be known as the Workplace Relations Commission. The appellate functions of the Employment Appeals Tribunal will be incorporated into an expanded Labour Court.
There will be savings made as a result of shared services and abolition of Boards but, more importantly, the new streamlined structures will provide a quicker, simpler and improved service for the taxpayer. The detailed nature of the costs and expenses savings are a day-to-day operational matter for the agencies in question.
