Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 28 Apr 1992

Vol. 418 No. 7

Written Answers. - Semi-State Bodies.

Tomás MacGiolla

Question:

51 Tomás Mac Giolla asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will outline any steps he may take to increase the powers available to him to supervise commercial semi-State companies or semi-State bodies for which he has responsibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Alan Shatter

Question:

326 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will outline, in relation to each State and semi-State company under the aegis of his Department, the companies which have a code of conduct delineating the activities which board members and employees of such bodies can engage in to ensure that an actual or potential conflict of interest does not arise vis-á-vis their duties as members and/or employees of such State bodies and other activities; the way in which this code of conduct, if any, is monitored by his Department; if he will make available in full, any such code of conduct stating the State and semi-State bodies to which it applies; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 326 together.

Outside of areas where specific Ministerial control is provided for in the relevant legislation, responsibility for the supervision of State bodies under the aegis of my Department rests primarily with their boards. I do not propose to alter this situation at this time. However, a report on the principles which govern the relationship between Departments of State and the State bodies under their aegis has recently been considered by Government. Guidelines based on the recommendations of this report have been drawn up by the Department of Finance. I have provided the Chairman of each of the State bodies under the control of my Department with a copy of these guidelines and have asked that they implement them. In addition my Department is currently reviewing its own procedures to ensure that these fulfil the requirements of the guidelines and in the light of this review, will take whatever measures are necessary to effect compliance with them.

Prior to the issuing of these guidelines, Teagasc, An Bord Glas and CBF had codes of conduct in place but these may have to be revised in the light of the new guidelines. I am arranging to have copies of each of the codes sent to the Deputies as soon as possible.