Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 September 2012
88. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Taoiseach the number of agencies, authorities, boards, committees, working groups, tribunals, council services, task force agencies and other quangos set up by his predecessor in the previous three administrations; the number that he has abolished since then and the savings that he made on these quangos in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40697/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has been substantially restructured since 2002 with a number of functional areas and staff being transferred to other Departments, including those in relation to Public Service Modernisation and the Information Society. Accordingly, it will not be possible to provide details of all the committees and working groups established by my predecessors. However, I will contact the Deputy shortly with the information requested in relation to committees and working groups insofar as it is available.
The National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) is the only agency under the aegis of my Department. It was established under the NESDO Act 2006 and is the body corporate for the National Economic and Social Council (NESC). NESDO has already completed a substantial restructuring programme. Up until 1 April 2010, it had two other constituent bodies, the National Economic and Social Forum (NESF) and the National Centre for Partnership and Performance (NCPP) which were dissolved on that date.
This led to substantial savings on both pay and non-pay expenditure, mainly as a result of reduced accommodation, rent, staffing levels and administrative costs. The 2012 Estimate for NESDO is €2,220,000. This is a reduction of over €1.1m on 2010.
My Department also rationalised the work and achieved substantial savings in relation to three other bodies which were formerly within its remit in recent years. The total separate programme funding for the work of the Ireland Newfoundland Partnership and the Active Citizenship Office ceased in 2009 and their work subsumed into the Department. The separate Offices in these areas have been discontinued which has given rise to savings in my Department’s Estimates of approximately €356,000 per annum. The National Forum on Europe was closed in 2009 which also gave rise to savings in the Estimates of €360,000.
