Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 May 2015
310. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of agencies, quangos or other bodies within his Department, funded or established by his Department, which have been scrapped, merged or reduced since this Government was formed; the amount saved in each case; the reduction in staff as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18439/15]
View answerI refer the Deputy to the Report on the Implementation of the Agency Rationalisation Programme which is published on my Department's website. The Report provides information on what has been achieved in reducing the number of state bodies as set out in the 2011 Public Service Reform Plan, including savings, and can be found at www.per.gov.ie.
The Report based on information provided by each relevant Government Department shows that measures involving more than 90 percent of the bodies to be rationalised and merged are now complete. In terms of those bodies which are within my own area of control:
(i) the office of the Commission on Public Service Appointments was merged into the Office of the Ombudsman, with effect from October 2012.
(ii) the Valuation Office is to merge with the Property Registration Authority and Ordnance Survey Ireland to form a new single body - Tailte Éireann, subject to legislative change being brought forward by the Minister for Justice and Equality. It is anticipated that Ministerial responsibility for the Valuation Office and Ordnance Survey Ireland will be transferred to the Minister for Justice and Equality in advance of the establishment of the proposed new body.
The associated savings for each of the measures, derived from a reduction in the number of public servants and from other administrative savings, is set out in Appendix 3 of the aforementioned published Report.
