Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 21 Apr 1999

Vol. 503 No. 4

Written Answers. - Public Service Management Act.

John Bruton

Question:

28 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 1 of 8 December 1998, the SMI implementation group has reported to him on appropriate action in relation to cross-departmental issues involving the use of section 12 of the Public Service Management Act, 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9580/99]

The Taoiseach:

No orders have so far been made under section 12 of the Public Service Management Act, 1997. As the Deputy will be aware from my reply to a previous similar question on 8 December last, the purpose of section 12 of the Act is to provide, as necessary, for the assignment by Ministers or Ministers of State of responsibility to civil servants for cross departmental issues and the associated accountability arrangements. The Act also requires, under section 4, that the heads of Departments and offices ensure that appropriate arrangements are put in place to facilitate an effective response to these issues. Ministers are aware of these provisions to which I have previously drawn their attention.

Issues of policy, of course, cross departmental boundaries and there is a need to identify new ways of managing such issues more effectively in the future. Already some experiments in cross-departmental working have been undertaken, including the drugs strategy team and the cross-departmental team on SMI. The departmental strategy statements approved by Ministers last year and laid before the House set out the foundation for future work in this area. The SMI implementation group is considering appropriate approaches in relation to cross-departmental issues, in the light of the experiences being gained. I expect that such consideration will address the use of section 12 of the 1997 Act as a means of underpinning progress on these matters.