Noel Davern
Question:32 Mr. Davern asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the role of the Minister of State in his Department, Deputy G. Mitchell, in relation to the Presidency of the EU [1382/95]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Role of Ministers of State.
Ray Burke
Question:50 Mr. R. Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the facilities, staff, resources and responsibilities that have been assigned to the two Ministers of State at his Department. [1439/95]
Noel Davern
Question:60 Mr. Davern asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the staff and resources which will be made available to the Minister of State at his Department in preparation for the Presidency of the EU. [1395/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 32, 50 and 60 together.
Two Ministers of State have been appointed at my Department. Deputy Joan Burton, who is also Minister of State at the Department of Justice, has special responsibility at the Department of Foreign Affairs for Development Co-operation, while Deputy Gay Mitchell, who is also Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, has special responsibility at the Department of Foreign Affairs for European Affairs generally and preparation for the intergovernmental conference in 1996.
Both Ministers of State have been provided with office accommodation in Iveagh House, together with the necessary staffing, equipment an budgetary resouces to enable them to carry out their responsibilities. Minister of State Burton has a total of seven civil servants between her private office and her constituency office in the Department of Foreign Affairs. She has also made three personal appointments to her office in the Department. Minister of State Mitchell has four civil servants at his private office in the Department of Foreign Affairs. His constituency office is located at the Department of the Taoiseach.
In the context of his special responsibility for European Affairs, Minister of State Mitchell will work with me in the planning and conduct of the Irish Presidency, including the Intergovernmental Conference which is likely to be convened before or during our Presidency.
All the relevent staff of my Department will, of course, be available to assist both Ministers of State in discharging their responsibilities. The staff of the political and economic divisions of the Department will be particularly closely involved in preparations for the Presidency.
I put it to the Minister that this practice of dividing the responsibilities of Ministers of State between two Departments leads to a dilution of their efforts and gives very little return to taxpayers. The Minister of State at the Department of Justice also has special responsibility at the Department of Foreign Affairs for development co-operation. Development co-operation is a separate matter and requires the concentration of a separate Minister of State. The other Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs is also a Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach. This has been the trend in the 15 appointments, and it is proposed to make two further appointments. This practice is a nonsense and should be re-examined.
I do not accept the Deputie's point. With regard to the appointments to the Department of Justice, in common with the practice heretofore, the Minister of State, Deputy Mitchell, has responsibilities at the Departments of Foreign Affairs and the Taoiseach. This has ben the practice in terms of the co-ordination of European Union affairs. In that respect, much work will have to be done in preparation for Ireland's Presidecy of the EU. Given the number of very important items on the agenda up until 1996 and afterwards, our Presidency will be very important and obviously there will have to be close co-ordination between the Departments of Foreign Affairs and the Taoiseach.
With regard to the Minister of State who has responsibility both at the Department of Justice and the Department of Foreign Affairs, as the Deputy correctly said, overseas development aid is an expanding brief. In recent years we have made a large impact in that regard — I compliment the former Minister of State at the Department, Deputy Tom Kitt, in that context — and this work will be continued. The linkage between the Department of Justice and the Department of Foreign Affairs in the case of the Minister f State, Deputy Burton, has a particular relevance in terms of human rights. As the Deputy will know from his experience in the Department of Justice, there is an overlap on human rights issues between the Departments, and I believe both my Ministers of State will work effectively.