The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Phil Hogan TD has announced that the number of agencies under the remit of his Department will be reduced from 21 to 12.

Overall agency numbers in the Government are targeted to fall to 740 by the end of the rationalisation process.

An Chomhairle Leabharlanna will be dissolved and its functions will be subsumed into an existing public body.

It was also recently announced that Comhar, Sustainable Development Council, is to be integrated into the National Economic and Social Council (NESC).

Further rationalisation schemes ongoing within the department include: The establishment of the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency (HSCA), which rationalises the functions of the National Building Agency (NBA), the Affordable Homes Partnership (AHP) and the Centre for Housing Research (CHR);  the merger of the Local Government Management Services Board and the Local Government Computer Services Board into  the Local Government Management Agency; the administrative functions of the Rent Tribunal have transferred to the Private Residential Tenancies Board; and  the functions of the Fire Services Council are now subsumed into the Department.