asked the Taoiseach, in relation to the Committee of Ministers and Departmental Secretaries established to co-ordinate Ireland's approach to the EC Structural Fund if he will give the following: (1) the number of times the committee have met, (2) whether the secretariat of the committee is provided by the Department of Finance or by his Department, and (3) if he proposes to make a statement to the Oireachtas in relation to the work of the committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - EC Structural Fund.
7.
As I indicated to the House on 17 May of this year I chair the Committee of Ministers and Departmental Secretaries which has been established to deal with the overall co-ordination of our efforts on the completion of the European Single Market and the effective use of the expanded European Structural Fund. The other members of the committee are the Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Tourism and Transport, Agriculture and Food, Finance, Industry and Commerce and Communications, the Environment, Labour and Energy and our appropriate departmental secretaries.
The committee meets weekly. The secretariat of the committee is provided by my Department.
The work of the committee is to ensure a clear strategic approach to upholding Ireland's interests in relation to European Community negotiations.
I thank the Taoiseach for the clarity of his reply. Would the Taoiseach explain how the work of that particular committee relates to the Government's work in the preparation of the various integrated programmes, that is, the national community programmes of interest for the European Structural Fund?
It relates very much to it. The purpose of the Ministers and Departmental Secretaries Committee is to supervise everything — all aspects of the work, particularly the preparation for the use of the Structural Fund and to co-ordinate our attitude and our position on all these matters.
Arising from the Taoiseach's reply, could he indicate in what way the structure he has just described to me has been changed by his announcement last week, of the appointment of the Minister for the Environment with special responsibility for co-ordination and planning in this area?
It has not been changed at all. The Minister for the Environment is a member of the general committee, but as the Deputy will appreciate, in the approach to the use of the Structural Fund and indeed in the approach to planning generally, the physical infrastructure will occupy a very important central part. Therefore, I thought it would be helpful if the Minister for the Environment would take an over-view of all activities, particularly activities which had to do with the material infrastructure. The particular assignment the Minister has is, first, to ensure that there is co-ordination across the infrastructural scene; and, second, to be alert to any situation where some important aspect of infrastructure might be ignored or overlooked in the general milieu.
The Taoiseach perhaps may be able to clarify the position to my satisfaction and that of the rest of the House. I understand from his reply to Question No. 7 that the Cabinet Committee is chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, which co-ordinates everything. I understand that the Minister for Finance is responsible for the preparation of the programmes for integrated planning etc. for the Structural Fund. Now I note the Minister for the Environment has a special role co-ordinating the first committee, the second committee or co-ordinating something else——
Co-ordinating the roads.
Co-ordinating the smog.
I am afraid we cannot debate the matter today.
As the Taoiseach readily knows, I have a serious interest in this matter. I am simply asking the Taoiseach to avail himself of this opportunity to tell the House who is co-ordinating what?
The Deputy has a valid point. First, there is the general committee in which all relevant Ministers, and their secretaries are represented.
What is it called?
The main purpose of that committee is to make sure that everybody knows what is going on and that each Department is fully aware of what other Departments are planning.
Is the Minister for the Environment, Deputy Flynn, in charge of that?
The Minister for Finance and the Department of Finance have particular responsibility for preparing the overall national plan which will be submitted to Brussels early in the New Year. He also has responsibility for co-ordinating into that overall national plan the sub-regional plans, so the Department of Finance have responsibility for that aspect of the overall planning and the co-ordination of the plans. The Deputy will understand that makes sense, because whatever resources we receive from Europe through the Structural Fund will naturally have to be matched with and related to the resources we can provide.
What does the Minister, Deputy Flynn, do?
It is a very natural function for the Department of Finance to have that central role. However, as I said, because we envisage that a great deal of this new work will be in the infrastructural area it was decided that the Minister for the Environment should be asked to keep an overall view——
Co-ordinating.
——of all that is happening, particularly in the infrastructural area with particular reference to observing whether there is duplication or whether there might be particular sectors of the infrastructure which were being neglected or overlooked in the planning.
(Interruptions.)
I do not intend to remain inordinately long on this question. There are other questions to be answered also. I will take supplementaries from Deputy Spring, Deputy Shatter and Deputy Noonan if they are brief; otherwise I shall pass on to the next question.
I will be very brief. Will the Taoiseach explain for clarification who, besides the Minister for the Environment, is involved in the infrastructural preparation referred to?
Practically every Department. For instance, the Department of Tourism and Transport will be involved in some very important aspects of the infrastructure such as local airports and harbours — that sector. The Deputy will understand that systems of communication, roads and communications generally, will occupy a major, central part and that is why the Minister for the Environment was asked to keep this overview.
With regard to the national plan and the sub-regional plans the Taoiseach referred to, before they are submitted to Brussels will those plans in draft from be published for debate in this House?
No, that is not intended, but no firm decision is taken on it as yet.
(Limerick East): Could the Taoiseach advise the House whether Deputies in seeking information about the Structural Fund should put down questions to the Minister for Finance or the Minister for the Environment?
Question No. 8, please.
(Limerick East): That is a legitimate question.
I think in general the Minister for Finance will be the person to whom questions should be addressed, but with regard to specific projects in the different areas the individual Minister will probably be in a better position to supply the details.
What do the Government do after all that?
They work very hard.
They deliver the goods which the Deputy's party could not do.
They strive constantly to undo the harm the Deputy did.
It sounds like so much codswallop.