Departmental Staff

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 May 2010

Wednesday, 19 May 2010

Ceisteanna (40)

Sean Sherlock

Ceist:

65 Deputy Seán Sherlock asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport if responsibility for the horse and greyhound fund has been officially transferred from her Department to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; the number of staff in her Department who were assigned to the fund; if these staff are to be transferred with the scheme to ensure there is no loss of institutional memory; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20692/10]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport (Deputy Mary Hanafin)

Responsibility for the horse and greyhound industries was transferred from the Department to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by the making of a transfer of departmental administration and ministerial functions order which came into effect on 1 May. The function has been transferred back to the section in the Department of Agriculture from which it had transferred in 2002, thus minimising any potential loss of corporate memory. The staffing arrangements supporting the function are similar in both Departments in that no individual officer is assigned sole responsibility for the function but that it is included in the responsibilities of a number of officers of various grades.