Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 June 2012
167 Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a list of the State agencies in which the Government has not made an appointment to a State body when a vacancy has arisen in view of the fact that it is clearly necessary to consider changes in the function or structure of the Board. [28935/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll appointments to State Agencies are made in accordance with the appropriate legislation governing appointments to each body and vacancies are filled as the need arises.
The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2012, which was recently passed by the Oireachtas, will facilitate my Department's agency rationalisation programme, under which 21 agencies will be reduced to 11.
The Local Government Management Services Board and the Local Government Computer Services Board are already merged, in an operational sense, with a common board, pending the establishment of the merged body — the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) — on a statutory basis. The LGMA will also take on the residual functions from An Chomhairle Leabharlanna, which will be dissolved.
The Affordable Homes Partnership will be dissolved and its functions, as well as those of the Centre for Housing Research and the National Building Agency, have been merged into the interim Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency (HSCA). The Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency is currently operating on an administrative basis and will be established on a statutory basis. The Fire Services Council's term of office expired on 30 June, 2009 and no new appointments were made to the Council after that date. The Minister announced that the work of the Council would be absorbed into the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management under the aegis of the Local Government Division of the Department.
The Limerick Regeneration Agencies will be dissolved and their functions will be taken over by the new Office for Regeneration which has been established in Limerick City. The Regeneration Office has initially been set up with administrative support from Limerick City Council but will report directly to the Manager Designate of the new Limerick Unitary Authority once appointed.
