asked the Minister for Industry and Energy if he will give details of the composition, purpose, date of appointment and frequency of meetings of each inter-Departmental committee in which his Department is involved; and if the committees have produced or will produce a written report on their work.
Written Answers. - Inter-Departmental Committees.
551.
In order to avoid duplication and overlapping with the replies of other Ministers, I am including in my reply only committees which were set up under the aegis of my Department. Details of the committees are attached.
1. Inter-Departmental Committee to consider options for the future of Nitrigin Éireann Teoranta
Composition: Departments of Industry and Energy, Finance, Agriculture and the Taoiseach.
Purpose: To consider options for the future of Nitrigin Éireann Teoranta.
Date of Appointment: 7 May 1981.
Frequency of meetings: The committee meets at irregular intervals as required. To date it has met on 11 occasions.
Written Report: The committee will produce a written report on its work to the Minister for Industry and Energy.
2. Inter-Departmental Committee on Industrial Policy
Composition: Representatives of the Departments of Industry and Energy (Chairman), Agriculture, Education, Environment, Finance, Gaeltacht, Labour, Posts and Telegraphs, Social Welfare, and Trade, Commerce an Tourism, and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners.
Purpose: To review industrial policy, including the provision of assistance to the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) for its study of industrial policy (undertaken at the request of the Government), and to analyse and comment on the resulting NESC Report.
Date of Appointment: 26 February 1980.
Frequency of meetings: The committee has met formally on three occasions but a major part of the work on the committee has been dealt with at bilateral meetings between Departments represented on the committee and other interests involved in the NESC study of industrial policy. The frequency of the meetings has been largely dictated by the requirements of the NESC study which is nearing completion.
Written Report: No such report has been prepared to date. The committee will be submitting a written report to the Government, including recommendations on future industrial policy, in the light of the NESC study, when that becomes available.