Vol. 499 No. 3
125 Ms Shortall asked the Taoiseach the areas of responsibility, if any, his Department has with regard to the Government's policy on children; the areas of responsibility, if any, his Department has with regard to the Government's policy on the family; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2733/99]
My Department has no formal operational responsibilities in regard to the Government's policy on children or the family. Matters relating to children and the family are, however, considered by the Cabinet committee on social inclusion, which I chair. The committee's brief is to tackle social exclusion in an integrated way in line with the Government's commitment in An Action Programme for the Millennium. My Department also has responsibility for monitoring the delivery of commitments under Partnership 2000, including commitments in the area of children and families. In that context the Department is represented on a number of groups which focus on relevant aspects of policy.
