asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will give details of the numbers and staffing in each case of semi-State bodies and agencies in 1986 and of his proposals for rationalisation or amalgamation of such agencies; if he will give the consequent staffing numbers and agency numbers which will arise in 1988; and if he will make a statement on his policy in these respects.
Written Answers. - Semi-State Bodies Staffing.
54.
Details of the staffing levels in the semi-State bodies and agencies under the aegis of my Department as at the end of 1986 and those expected at the end of 1988 are set out hereunder:
|
Body |
Staff Numbers at end 1986 |
Estimated Staff Numbers at end 1988 |
|
Córas Tráchtála |
318 |
250 |
|
Crafts Council of Ireland |
5 |
5 |
|
Industrial Development Authority |
685 |
570 |
|
Institute for Industrial Research & Standards |
599 |
543(Eolas with effect from 1/1/1988) |
|
National Board for Science and Technology |
73 |
|
|
Irish Goods Council |
28 |
28 |
|
Irish Productivity Centre |
49 |
49 |
|
Kilkenny Design Workshops |
127 |
101 |
|
NADCORP |
18 |
18 |
|
SFADCo |
225 |
220 |
|
Irish Steel |
526 |
See Note |
|
NET |
656 |
Under |
With regard to rationalisation and amalgamation the Deputy will be aware that with effect from 1 January 1988 IIRS and NBST were, in effect, amalgamated to form Eolas, the Irish Science and Technology agency. The anticipated reduced staffing numbers are shown above.
Additionally, with a view to giving SFADCo a more integrated and creative role in contributing to national recovery, responsibility for the promotion and development of medium and large scale industry in the mid West Region was transferred to it from the IDA on 1 January 1988.
Furthermore on 2 October 1987 NET entered into a joint venture with Imperial Chemical Industries plc. The manufacturing activities of NET and those of ICI's Belfast subsidiary, Richardson Fertilizers Ltd., were amalgamated into one entity — Irish Fertilizers Industries Ltd., while NET itself was restructured into a holding company. As a commercial undertaking employment numbers in NET/IFI, and similarly in Irish Steel, will have to reflect their commercial operation. It is not possible therefore to estimate the staffing levels in these commercial bodies at end-1988.
The end-1988 staffing levels reflect the rationalisation and amalgamation proposals which I have detailed together with the reductions in numbers resulting from the Government's voluntary redundancy package.
While I have no proposals for further rationalisation or amalgamation in these areas at this time, this is a question which is kept under continued review to ensure the optimum return from Exchequer funding.