State Agencies

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 November 2012

Tuesday, 13 November 2012

Ceisteanna (156)

Niall Collins

Ceist:

156. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Taoiseach if he will provide in tabular form the list of quasi-governmental organisations and agencies under his remit; if he will provide a list of quasi-governmental organisations and agencies under his remit that have been abolished since March 2011 or are scheduled to be abolished and the date on which they are due to be abolished; the date on which the body was created; the name of the body; the 2012 budget for the body; the number of employees of the body in 2012; the names of outside consultants hired by the organisation since march 2011; and his future plans for the body. [49392/12]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

The National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) is the only State Agency under the aegis of my Department. The NESDO was established under the NESDO Act 2006 and is the body corporate for the National Economic and Social Council (NESC). NESDO has a budget of €2.220m this year and employs 17.2 staff.

NESDO\NESC was one of the organisations to be critically reviewed as part of the programme of rationalisation of State agencies, announced by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on 17 November 2011. My Department carried out the review. The review concluded that the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) was no longer required and should be abolished and that the NESC should be maintained as the statutory body. The review contained a number of other recommendations in relation to the functioning of NESC. My Department is proceeding to implement the recommendations of the Review. The abolition of NESDO as a statutory body will require primary legislation and the timelines for publication of this legislation will depend on the availability of necessary drafting resources.