Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 January 2010
310 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of bodies and agencies operated under the remit of his Department; the cost of each on a yearly basis; the name and number that have been abolished in the past four years; the name and number that have been amalgamated; the name of those to be abolished or amalgamated in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2738/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can inform the Deputy that the number of State Boards, agencies, regulators or other bodies under the remit of my Department is 25.
The cost of these bodies is reported in each body's published Annual Report. These reports are made available in the library of the Houses of the Oireachtas.
The number of bodies under the remit of my Department, which have been abolished in the past four years, is 1. This is The Electronic Communications Appeals Panel which was abolished in June 2007.
The number of bodies under the remit of my Department that have been amalgamated the past four years is 2. They are (1) The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland and (2) The Broadcasting Complaints Commission. These bodies were dissolved under the Broadcasting Act 2009 and subsumed into The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.
The number of bodies under the remit of my Department to be abolished in 2010 is one. The National Salmon Commission's term of office expired in May 2008 and will formally be abolished on the enactment of the Inland Fisheries Bill 2009 in spring 2010. The number to be amalgamated in 2010 is eight. These are the Central Fisheries Board and seven regional fisheries boards, which will be subsumed into a single inland fisheries authority to be known as Inland Fisheries Ireland under the Inland Fisheries Bill 2009, when approved by the Oireachtas in spring 2010.
