Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 January 2012
718 Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the measures that have been put in place to date with regard to rationalisation of the State bodies under his aegis listed in Appendix IIA of the Government statement on public service reform as announced on 17 November 2011. [4540/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra719 Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the assessment and reporting mechanism he has put in place to enable Departments to continually assess the business case for the State bodies under their aegis. [4562/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra720 Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will outline the projected savings for each State agency to be rationalised as set out in the recent public service reform plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4570/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 718 to 720, inclusive, together.
I am actively pursuing the rationalisation programme set out in the Public Service Reform Plan with the relevant agencies. Developments so far in relation to agencies for which I have responsibility are that Dundalk Port Company merged with Dublin Port Company on 12 July 2011. Tralee and Fenit Harbour Authority transferred to the control of Kerry County Council with effect from 1 October 2011. Baltimore and Skibbereen Harbour and Kinsale Harbour transferred to the control of Cork County Council, and Arklow Harbour transferred to the control of Wicklow County Council, with effect from 1 January 2012.
I also recently announced that Dublin Tourism is being merged with its parent body — Failte Ireland — as part of the rationalisation programme. Furthermore, there is a review being undertaken with regard to the future tourism role of Shannon Development and its possible integration into Fáilte Ireland, while Coaching Ireland has been subsumed into the Irish Sports Council.
On the issue of possible further rationalisation, the Public Service Reform Plan requires that a number of other agencies are subject to critical review which will be completed by June of this year. In addition, a ports policy review is at an advanced stage and I hope to publish a revised policy document in the coming months. Port Company restructuring is one of the issues being considered as part of the policy review. It is not possible to quantify the potential savings from rationalisation until full details of each implementation have been worked through with the agencies in question.
