Written Answers. - Departmental Working Groups.
Emmet Stagg
Question:
63
Mr. Stagg
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the number of departmental working groups in his Department; the key tasks of these groups; when each of them is expected to produce reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10334/99]
My Department is involved in a wide range of working groups, committees etc. and also has ongoing business liaisons with other Departments and agencies which deliver related services. The following are the details.
Working group on women's access to labour market opportunities. The key tasks of this group are to review the issues underlying access by women to labour market opportunities and supports, including mainstream vocational educational, training and employment programmes, with a view to increasing gender equity in access to such programmes and improving job opportunities and to make recommendations to Government in this regard. It is expected that the report of this group will be presented to Government within the next few months.
Steering committee for the white paper on supporting voluntary activity. This committee was set up in May 1998 to assist in the preparation of the proposed white paper on supporting voluntary activity. The members of the group have been selected on an individual basis to give of their individual expertise and experience. I hope to publish the white paper on supporting voluntary activity within the next few months.
Inter-Departmental Policy Committee, IDPC, of the National Anti-Poverty Strategy. The IDPC, which was set up to oversee the formulation of the National Anti-Poverty Strategy, NAPS, remains in place and meets four to five times per year. Comprising senior civil servants as well as representatives of FÁS, Area Development Management Ltd. and the Combat Poverty Agency, the DPC is the key agent for addressing central NAPS issues and agreeing future plans and programmes of activity. The IDPC is co-chaired by my Department and the Department of the Taoiseach. The IDPC will produce an annual report on progress achieved in furthering the social inclusion agenda, the first of which is expected to be published next month.
NAPS profiling group. A group of selected press and information officers from Departments has been convened to advise on the implementation of the NAPS public information and education strategy. This is an ongoing advisory role and there are no specific reporting requirements.
The community development programme advisory committee. This committee was established in December 1994 as an advisory committee to assist in the development of the programme and to advise the Minister on relevant policy matters. The membership of the committee is drawn from the Community Development Programme, CDP, projects, support agencies as well as others with expertise in community development. Reports are not produced.
The community development programme technical group. The group was appointed in November, 1996. The group's role is to advise the Minister on applications received from groups for funding under the programme and to assist the Department in drawing up a list of 30 priority areas/communities of interest to be targeted for the development of new projects as provided for in Partnership 2000. The membership of the group is drawn from CDP projects, support agencies, Combat Poverty Agency and Area Development Management, ADM. Reports are not produced.
The Money Advice and Budgeting Service, MABS, – national advisory committee. The national advisory committee of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service, MABS, advises the Minister on policy in relation to the service. The membership of the committee is representative of the MABS projects and other parties involved in the provision of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service. It includes a number of headquarters and regional staff of the Department. Reports are not produced.
Disability consultative forum. The key tasks of this forum were, initially to ensure that the transfer of the disabled person's maintenance allowance scheme, now renamed disability allowance, from the eight health boards to this Department in October 1996. The forum has since been broadened to include issues concerning the invalidity pension and carers' schemes, as well as issues relevant to people with disabilities. While the forum does not produce a formal report its findings are communicated to relevant areas in the Department for necessary action.
Customer panels for people with disabilities. The purpose of these panels is to help identify and focus attention on specific needs and concerns of people with disabilities and to provide an opportunity for feedback on how the Department's services can be improved. The panels comprise people with long-term illness or disability including carers who are currently in receipt of payments from this Department. Reports and findings are communicated to relevant areas in the Department for necessary action.
Interdepartmental working group on the treatment of married co-habiting and one-parent households under the tax and social welfare codes. An interdepartmental working group was set up by the Government in May 1997 to examine the treatment of one and two-parent families under the tax and social welfare systems. The group is expected to submit its report to the Minister before the end of the summer.
Supplementary welfare allowance scheme A number of working groups with representatives from the health boards meet regularly to ensure that there is an appropriate degree of liaison between health boards and the Department in relation to the administration of supplementary welfare allowance. Formal reports are not produced by these groups.
Pension working groups. Following the publication of the Pensions Board report on the national pensions policy initiative last year, I established a number of working groups to progress various recommendations of the board: namely simplification of the tax regime for pensions, chaired by the Department of Finance; pre-funding the future costs of social welfare pensions, chaired by the Department of Finance; and the introduction of personal retirement savings accounts to encourage increase in supplementary pension coverage, chaired by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. The above groups comprise representatives of the relevant Departments and the Pensions Board. The groups will submit their reports before the end of the summer.
Local office family service pilot projects group. A departmental working group has been established to oversee the development and introduction of pilot projects to enhance services to families. The projects will build on the one-stop shop concept with the aim of providing improved access to information for families locally through the social welfare local offices. Periodic management reports on progress are produced by the group.
Steering group on disincentive effects of secondary benefits. The key task of the interdepartmental group was to oversee the consultancy study on this topic. That study has been completed and the report has been published.The group will remain in operation to give further consideration to the implementation of recommendations contained in the report which affect a number of Departments – such as the question of information provision. A separate group, involving the social partners, has been established to give specific consideration to the issue of the tapering of rent/mortgage interest supplements, which was addressed in the report.
Programme evaluation reviews. A departmental committee, with representatives from the Department of Finance, was established to steer the programme evaluation process within the Department. The aims of the review process are to provide a systematic analysis of what is actually being achieved by expenditure in each programme and to provide a basis on which more informed decisions can be made on priorities within and between expenditure programmes. Reports are prepared for each programme area reviewed.
Business users' panel. A small business forum was set up in December 1997 by my Department and the Revenue Commissioners to consider how the administration of the social welfare and PAYE systems can be improved and simplified. It was decided to set up a business users panel comprising of employers, representatives from employer organisations and public servants to examine these matters. The business users' panel has 19 members. The panel is a consultative and not a report issuing body.
Interdepartmental management committee on integrated social services system. An interdepartmental management committee to advise and progress the development of the integrated social services system was first established on 22 April 1994. The group published its report in August 1996 on the development of an integrated social services system and now has the responsibility of overseeing and progressing its recommendations. Membership of the group comprises representatives of several Departments and a representative from the health boards. Arising from its findings, legislative provisions to cover the introduction of the personal public service number, public service card and sharing of data in the administration of certain social services were included in the 1998 Social Welfare Act and added to in the Social Welfare Act, 1999. The group is currently overseeing the implementation of these measures across public bodies. No further reports are expected from the group.
