asked the Minister for the Public Service if he intends to hive off executive agencies from Government Departments and to establish Aireachtaí as recommended in the report of the Public Service Organisation Review Group.

The Government are fully committed to an effective programme of public service reform. One of the areas on which action will be concentrated will be the separation of responsibility for policy and execution by dividing Departments into Aireach-taí and executive units.

How far has this already developed in some Departments?

There are five Departments in which this was to be done on a trial basis. The degree of progress in those Departments differs considerably, for reasons into which I will not go here unless the Deputy insists, but we intend to treat the question of public service reform as a matter of urgent priority.

Am I to take it from the Minister's reply that the Devlin Report would be the basis of that re-form?

Yes, the general lines of the Devlin Report would be the basis of that reform.

Would there be any subsequent announcements about new Departments or rearrangements of responsibilities between Departments? The reason I ask this question is because, between the Taoiseach's first announcement here and subsequent events, there were changes in regard to Transport and Tourism and the Department of the Environment. Are we finished with that now?

The Deputy may take it that if any changes are decided on the appropriate announcement will be made.