The purpose of the Government's Agency Rationalisation programme which was initiated in 2011 was to reduce the overall number of State agencies and to make efficiency savings, as part of the wider Public Service reform agenda. As for the final geographic location of the bodies affected by the Rationalisation programme, that was and remains a matter for the relevant Government Minister and Department to determine in the first instance, guided by the need to make savings and other administrative efficiencies of course.
For further detailed information, I refer the Deputy to a report on the Implementation of the Agency Rationalisation Programme, which is published on my Department's web site. This Report shows that recurring annual savings of over €15 million are accruing to Central Government, with a further €2.8m in once-off revenue arising from the disposal of property. It also shows that further annual savings of the order of €9m will be achieved by 2018, as the full year efficiency savings from some of the measures are realised, and additional net savings worth some €40 million will accrue annually to the Local Authority sector on foot of the reform and rationalisation measures in Local Authority structures.
Regarding the formation of new bodies, which may from time to time be established by Government, location would typically be one of a number of factors to inform a business case. I am sure the Deputy is aware, for instance, that in the case of my own Department, the new Civil Service Payroll Shared Service - which provides payroll, pensions and travel and subsistence payments to nearly 31,000 Civil and Public Servants - is located in three centres: in Galway, Tullamore and Killarney. Indeed, I visited the Galway centre only last week to congratulate the staff on their work in bringing together into one place payroll administration that had previously been carried out in 18 individual pay centres. This Reform initiative will generate considerable administrative efficiencies and is a good example of the type of positive change that is being embraced across the Civil Service and Public Service under the Government's Public Service Reform Agenda.
