Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 29 Sep 1999

Vol. 508 No. 1

Written Answers. - Cross-departmental Matters.

John Bruton

Question:

270 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he has used section 12 of the Public Service Management Act, 1997, which allows for appropriate action to be taken on cross departmental issues in a structured way; and the areas of work of his Department which are touching on the work of other Departments in respect of which cross departmental arrangements might be appropriate. [17362/99]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh):

Section 12 of the Public Service Management Act, 1997, has not yet been used in relation to issues which are the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture and Food. Initiatives have, however, been taken in a number of areas which are of cross-departmental interest.

In relation to rural development, the White Paper, Ensuring the Future, recently published by my Department, following lengthy dialogue with all relevant Departments and agencies as well as organisations representative of rural communities, emphasises the multi-faceted character of the rural development agenda. The institutional arrangements set out in the White Paper include a Cabinet sub-committee chaired by the Taoiseach and the interdepartmental policy committee to ensure a co-ordinated approach to policy development at central level.

Another major area of cross-departmental concern is food safety. Extensive arrangements have already been made in this area under the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act, 1998. Under this legislation all relevant Departments and agencies enter into service agreements with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland in order to conduct the appropriate functions on an integrated basis with a view to consolidating and enhancing the food safety status of Irish produce and the hygiene status of food-related facilities. My Department and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland have already signed a service contract to this effect.

I will keep under review the possibility of invoking S.12 where this would help to achieve improved co-ordination of policy or operations between any area of my Department and relevant areas of other Departments.

12.–(1) A Minister of the Government having charge of an office (being a Department or a Scheduled Office) may jointly with a Minister of the Government having charge of another such office or other such offices after consultation with the Secretary General or Head of each Department or, as the case may be, Scheduled Office concerned, by order assign to one or more civil servants responsibility for the performance of functions in relation to matters that pertain to the offices aforesaid concerned as may be specified in the order or in any order made by those Ministers of the Government in substitution therefor.

(2) A function of the Minister of the Government under this section may be delegated to a Minister of State under section 2 of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment)(No. 2) Act, 1977, only as respects other functions of that Minister of the Government standing delegated to that Minister of State under the said section 2.

(3) An assignment by Ministers of the Government undersubsection (1) of responsibilities for the performance of functions shall be construed as reserving to those Ministers of the Government the right to perform those functions concurrently with the assignees.

(4) An order undersubsection (1) shall specify the manner in which the civil servants to which the order relates shall be accountable for the carrying out of the responsibilities concerned and, where the Minister for Finance has agreed (which he or she is hereby authorised to do) that those responsibilities are to include functions pertaining to the utilisation of financial resources related to the carrying out of those responsibilities, the Minister for Finance may specify the manner in which the civil servants concerned shall be accountable for such utilisation.

(5) An order made by Ministers of the Government undersubsection (1) shall specify the date when the assignment made thereby shall cease and may be amended or revoked by the Ministers of the Government before that date.