Vol. 418 No. 5
54 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline the procedural and operational changes he proposes to introduce into the operations of his Department so as to give effect to the Taoiseach's statement of his commitment to open Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Department of Foreign Affairs are committed to ensuring a good flow of information to the public on developments in Irish foreign policy. Every effort is made when replying to parliamentary questions and to queries from the media and members of the public to provide as clear and comprehensive a response as possible. Publications such as the six-monthly report on Developments in the European Communities and the annual report on Ireland's Official Development Assistance help to disseminate knowledge in these key areas. Close contact is maintained with bodies having a specialist interest in foreign policy, such as the Irish United Nations Association, the Irish Council for the European Movement, the Committee for the Study of International Affairs of the Royal Irish Academy, and there is also valuable interaction with the recently established Institute of European Affairs.
My intention is to ensure that this general approach of openness is continued and where possible reinforced. In particular, I believe that when an Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs is established, it will play a crucial role in ensuring well-informed discussion on matters within the responsibility of the Department.
Every opportunity will be availed of to increase public knowledge and understanding of the full range of the Department's activities. As an illustration of how we intend to proceed I might mention that the Minister of State has called a meeting this week of the heads of the main agencies active in development co-operation to brief them on the Government's thinking and to provide them with an opportunity to express their view.
