Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 September 2012
1883. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport the number of agencies, authorities, boards, committees, working groups, tribunals, council services, task forces, agencies or other quangos set up by his Department since February 2011; the number abolished since then; the extra cost of quangos which were established; the savings from the abolition of quangos; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37253/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra1884. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport the estimated cost of each quango in his Department; the amount expected to be saved from the mergers of quangos in his Department; the basis for this figure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37269/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1883 and 1884 together.
Since my appointment as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, six Public Bodies have been merged or abolished. No new Public Bodies have been established.
The merger of Dublin Tourism with its parent body - Fáilte Ireland - is now complete, while Coaching Ireland is being subsumed into the Irish Sports Council. The Government decided in May 2012 that Shannon Development’s tourism functions should transfer to Fáilte Ireland. Planning and preparations for this transfer are underway.
Dundalk Port Company was 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, while Arklow Harbour transferred to the control of Wicklow County Council, with effect from 1st January 2012. The Board of Harbour Commissioners ceased to exist in each case.The current intention is that the last remaining harbour under the auspices of my Department, Bantry Bay, will be transferred to a more appropriate governance framework over the course of the next year. My Department is also currently engaged in a review of ports policy which will, inter alia, consider the issue of port company restructuring.
The Public Service Reform Plan (http://reformplan.per.gov.ie/) sets out full details of all agencies, including those under the aegis of my Department, which are to be rationalised in 2012 and 2013 and also those which were subject to critical review. It is not possible to quantify the potential savings from rationalisation until the detailed arrangements in respect of each implementation have been worked through with the agencies in question.
The funding provided to agencies under the aegis of my Department is set out in the Revised Estimates for Public Expenditure 2012 and can be found on the Department of Public Expenditure and reform website (http://per.gov.ie/estpubexp2012/)
