merrion street

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Mr. Brendan Howlin TD today, 31 October 2012, updated Government colleagues on the rationalisation of state agencies.

From the outset, the Minister has maintained that “the real benefit from the rationalisation of state agencies will be a less crowded administrative landscape resulting in greater democratic accountability, less duplication of effort and clearer lines of responsibility for the citizen.”

The 48 rationalisation measures set out in the Public Service Reform Plan outlined by the Minister actually represent a total of 102 individual bodies. (2 of the measures relate respectively to 17 VECs and 35 City and County Enterprise Boards.)

Significant progress has already been made on this agenda.

The Government has decided not to proceed with the absorption of the National Cancer Registry into the Department of Health at this time, but is pleased to note that 47 out of the 48 measures will be completed on a legislative or an administrative basis resulting in the rationalisation/merger of 101 bodies.

“Savings of €20 million in enhanced service efficiencies and value-for-money were targeted, a target which will be achieved”, the Minister said.

Underlining his commitment to these mergers, the Minister announced that no separate funding will be made for these bodies not merged unless in an agreed rationalisation programme.

With regard to the 46 Critical Reviews, again in many cases these reviews represent more than one body, for example one measure included the recently announced modernisation of Local Authority structures resulting in the rationalisation of 90 different local and regional authorities.

24 Critical Reviews recommend proceeding which represents the rationalisation of a total of 116 bodies. The Minister has asked his Government colleagues to bring forward a timeframe for full implementation of these mergers by the end of 2013.

10 Critical Reviews involving 11 different bodies do not recommend proceeding and in such cases, the Minister has asked his Government colleagues’ Departments to engage further with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform with a view to exploring shared services and other operational synergies.

3 Critical Reviews involving 3 different bodies are ongoing and 8 involving 8 bodies have been deferred to due external factors.

ENDS

47 Measures to be implemented by end 2012

Bodies to be Rationalised, Amalgamated or Abolished in 2012

Department Ref No.[1]

Body and Action Status

Education and Skills 1 to 3

Amalgamation of Further Education and Training Awards, Higher Education and Training Award Council and National Qualifications Authority of Ireland Amalgamation provided for in the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012, passed in July 2012.

4 Reduce Number of VEC’s from 33 to 16 Enabling Bill currently before Dáil

5&6 Merge Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology and Council for the Humanities and Social Science into consolidated single council under HEA. Merger complete March 2012

Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation 7 & 8 Amalgamate the Competition Authority and

National Consumer Agency Draft Heads of Bill approved and due before Dáil.

9-13

Rationalise the industrial relations / employee rights institutions (Labour Court, Labour Relations Commission, National Employment Rights Authority,

Employment Appeals Tribunal, Equality Tribunal) Significant progress made to date on new two tier-model. General scheme of Bill approved by Government.

14 Establish the scope to merge Forfás into the Department [DJEI] An Executive style Board has been put in place in Forfás to oversee merger.

15 Review of City and County Enterprise Boards Primary legislation required. Implementation group established.

Environment, Community and Local Government 16

&

17 Merge Local Government Computer Services Board & Local Government Management Services Board Completed. Local Government Management Agency established in August 2012.

18

& 19 Merge Regeneration Agencies in Limerick into Local Authorities (and extend remit of regeneration to certain city centre areas) Completed in July 2012.

20 Subsume An Comhairle Leabharlanna into existing public body Completed. Provided for in the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act.

Environment, Community and Local Government (cont.) 21 Comhar to be integrated into the National Economic and Social Council. Completed January 2012.

22 Interim Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency incorporating the Affordable Housing Partnership, National Building Agency and Centre for Housing Research Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency established in August 2012.

23 Discontinue the Dormant Accounts Board DAB to be dissolved in December 2012.

Public Expenditure and Reform 24 Merge Commission on Public Service Appointments with Ombudsman Enabling Act recently enacted.

Health 25 Merger of National Council for Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery. Completed

26 Merge Opticians Boards with the Health and Social Care Professionals Council Working Group advancing proposal.

Measure no.27 NCR see separate table below

Justice and Equality 28 & 29 Merge Equality Authority with the Human Rights Commission to form new Commission Enabling Bill to be published by end 2012.

Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht 30, 31

& 32 Combine Irish Museum of Modern Art, Crawford Art Gallery & National Gallery of Ireland. Framework for Co-operation & Improved Services agreed.

33 &34 Merge National Archives & Irish Manuscripts Commission, into National Library In order to achieve the greatest possible savings and efficiencies, it was decided that these rationalisation measures would be best implemented by deploying the existing National Archives (NAI) governance model to the National Library (NLI) and the National Museum (NMI). This will be put into effect on an administrative basis pending enactment of enabling legislation.

35 Merge functions of An Coimisinéir Teanga with Ombudsman Office. Being advanced alongside other Ombudsman related measures.

36 & 37 Examine the issue of shared services and Board structure of both the National Library and Museum See 33-34 above

Transport, Tourism and Sport 38 Merge NRA with Railway Procurement Agency Target to publish Bill by end 2012 with statutory merger to take place in 2013

39 & 40 Merge Irish Aviation Authority & Commission for Aviation Regulation It has been agreed that a restructuring of two agencies as opposed to a merger should take place. This restructuring will take place by end 2014.

41 & 42 Legislation to be published in 2012 to enable the merger of National Sports Campus Development Authority with the Irish Sports Council in 2013. Draft General Scheme of Bill to be submitted to Government by end 2012 with a view to give effect to merger in 2013.

43

Review Role of Shannon Development (Tourism) and possible merger into Fáilte Ireland Proposals for merger to go to Government by end of year.

44 Dublin Regional Tourism Authority and possible merger into Fáilte Ireland Completed January 2012.

Defence 45 Merge Civil Defence Board into Department Enabling bill published.

CENR 46 Merge the Digital Hub Development Authority with Enterprise Ireland / IDA A review on proposed merger found that Dublin City Council would be a better merger partner for DHDA. The merger will be implemented on an administrative basis by end-year with necessary legislation to be progressed in 2013.

Children and Youth Affairs 47 Merge back-office functions of Ombudsman for Children with Information Commissioner Shared services model to be implemented.

48 Child and Family Support Agency / Family Mediation Service transfer to Legal Aid Board Draft Bill to establish Agency in January 2013 expected shortly.

Measure not proceeding (end September 2012 position)

Department

Ref No.

Body and Action Status

Department of Health 27 National Cancer Registry to be abolished and subsumed into the HSE NCR to remain a statutory body in the short to medium term.

46 CRITICAL REVIEWS

24 Measures to be implemented by end 2013

PSR Ref No.[2] Department / Body / Proposal

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

2 Irish Maritime Development Office

Subsume into the Marine Institute[3]

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

4,5 Commission for Communication Regulation

Merge back-office administrative functions with the BAI

Department of Education and Skills

6 Expert Group on Future Skills Needs

Absorb into Department

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

7 National Education and Welfare Board

Merge into Child & Family Support Agency.

Department of Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation

8 Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation

Absorb into Department.

9 National Competitiveness Council

Absorb into Department.

10 Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government

Absorb into SFI

11 Shannon Development

Government has considered the issue of the future of Shannon Development and has announced a series of actions to progress the review and to report back to Government by end November 2012.

Department of Environment, Community & Local Government

12 Environmental Protection Agency / Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland

Merge Environmental Protection Agency and the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland.[4]

13 Local Authorities

Rationalisation of Local Authorities structures was announced on 15 October

15 Building Regulations Advisory Body

Absorb into Department

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

17,

30-32 Valuation Office

Merge the Valuation Office, the Property Registration Authority and Ordnance Survey.

19 State Laboratory

Merge Forensic Science Laboratory into State Laboratory.[5]

Department of Justice and Equality

29 Reception and Integration Agency, Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner & Refugee Appeals Tribunal

Rationalise various Refugee Structures.

34 Prison Visiting Committees

Reduce or merge Visiting Committees as there is now a Prison Inspectorate.

Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

39 Chester Beatty Library

Develop shared services opportunities with other cultural institutions.

40 Placenames Commission / An Choimisiúin Logainmneacha

Absorb function within Department.

42 Culture Ireland

Merge the functions of Culture Ireland into Department.

Department of Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation (Cont.)

45 Companies Registration Office

Merge the Companies Registration Office and the Office of the Registrar of Friendly Societies.[6]

46 Office of the Registrar of Friendly Societies

See footnote 6

10 Measures not proceeding

PSR Ref No. Department / Body / Proposal

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

1 National Milk Agency

Abolish or merge with Bord Bia.

3 Bord Iascaigh Mhara (B.I.M.)

Transfer functions of BIM into the Department.

Department of Environment, Community & Local Government

14 Local Government Audit Service

Merge in the Office of the Comptroller & Auditor General

Department of Finance / Department of

Public Expenditure and Reform

18 Disciplinary Code of Appeals Board and the Independent Mediator

Abolish /Merge with new employment rights body

Department of Taoiseach

21 NESC

Abolish / disband along with the other bodies in the group (NESDO) having regard to the duplication of functions with the ESRI and the economic advisory role of the new Irish Fiscal Advisory Council.

Department of Justice and Equality

28 Property Services Regulation Authority

Merge with the Private Residential Tenancy Board

Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport

36 Medical Bureau of Road Safety

Merge with State Laboratory[7]

37 Railway Safety Commission

Amalgamate as part of establishing a single transport safety body comprising Road Safety Authority, Railway Safety Commission, and the Maritime Safety Directorate.

38 Road Safety Authority

As above.

Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

41 Heritage Council

Merge the functions of the Council into Department.[8]

List of 8 measures deferred due to external developments

PSR Ref No. Department / Body / Proposal

Department of Health

22 Mental Health Commission

Absorb into Patient Safety Authority.

23 National Paediatric Hospital Development Board

Dependent on outcome of decision on hospital.

24 Health Information and Quality Authority

The Programme for Government envisages the creation of a Patient Safety Authority incorporating HIQA with a licensing role.

25 National Treatment Purchase Fund

The Programme for Government states that a new Hospital Care Purchase Agency will combine with the National Treatment Purchase Fund as part of the transition to a universal health insurance model.

26 Health Insurance Authority

Future to be considered in context of proposed move to a system of Universal Health Care.

27 Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council.

Merge into Health and Social Care Professionals Council

Department of Justice and Equality

33 Office of the Data Protection Commissioner

Amalgamate with the Office of the Ombudsman.

Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

35 Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests

Subsume Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests into proposed Office of the Charities Regulator

4 Reviews ongoing as part of wider reviews

PSR Ref No. Department / Body / Proposal

16 NDFA *

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

20 Development Education Advisory Committee

Role being reviewed as part of review of 2006 White Paper on ODA included in Programme for Government.

Department of Social Protection

43 Pensions Board

Integrate functions with Financail Regulator . Review ongoing and due to be completed by end year

44 Pensions Ombudsman

Merge with the Financial Services Ombudsman . Review ongoing and due to be completed by end year

*Review is not finalized

[1] See Appendix IIa of Public Service Reform Plan

[2] See Appendix IIb of Public Service Reform Plan

[3] The IMDO already, from an administrative perspective, operates under a single subhead with the Marine Institute, no further action needed.

[4] This action may require a longer time-frame than end-2013

[5] The Forensic Science Laboratory will be brought under the ambit of the State Laboratory

[6] These bodies already, from an administrative perspective, operate as one office under a single subhead in the Department’s Vote, no further action required.

[7] The MBRS will be considered in time as part of the future configuration of the State Laboratory

[8] While a merger will not proceed, a reduced, pro bono board will be put in place and statutory committees abolished.