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.
Details can be acessed here
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