Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 16 Nov 1999

Vol. 510 No. 6

Written Answers. - Local Task Forces.

Pat Rabbitte

Question:

384 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Science the number and details of local development groups, for example, integrated area plan committees and local task forces of which officials of his Department are members; the number of times his officials have attended meetings of these groups; the steps, if any, he will take to ensure that his officials attend all appropriate meetings and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23286/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin):

Members of the Department's inspectorate and psychological service are nominated to committees associated with the Area-based Partnerships. In the vast majority of cases these are sub-committees of the partnership dealing with education matters. In some cases, however, further sub-committees have been formed and inspectors and psychologists have been available to them for advice when educational matters are being discussed.

A review will take place in the near future of departmental representation on these committees, a major objective of which will be ensuring appropriate involvement by relevant personnel. The following table demonstrates the Department's very heavy commitment to the activities of the local partnerships, which is placing a considerable strain on personnel resources.

It is also intended to consult with the management of ADM at national level to determine if participation by the Department of Education and Science personnel in all of these committees is necessary and to explore other means of participation that might be more effective and less demanding on limited personnel resources.

Details of the partnership meetings refer to 1998 and are as follows

Area-based Partnership	Number ofMeetings	MeetingsAttended
Ballymun Partnership	13	9
Blanchardstown Area Partnership	20	12
Finglas/Cabra Partnership	8	4
Drogheda Partnership Company	5	3
Donegal Local Development Company	11	2
Inishowen Partnership Board	No meetings notified
Dundalk Employment Partnership	6	1
County Sligo Leader Partnership Company	11	5
County Sligo Leader Partnership – Ed. Sub-Comm.	6	5
Páirtíocht Ghaeltacht Thír Chonaill	7	7
County Cavan Partnership	10	5
County Leitrim Partnership Board	8	5
Monaghan Partnership Board	10	8
Dublin Inner City Partnership	11	8
Clondalkin Partnership	9	6
Tallaght Partnership	8	7
Ballyfermot Partnership	9	1
The Northside Partnership	5	1
Southside Partnership – No Education Sub-committee	Informal meetings
Kimmage/Walkinstown/Crumlin/Drimnagh Partnership	10	8
Canal Communities Partnership	11	8
Wexford Area Partnership	15	13
County Wexford Partnership	10	9
Bray Partnership	8	3
North West Kildare/North Offaly Partnership	10	8
Roscommon County Partnership	8	6
Westmeath Community Development	10	3
Longford Community Resources	5	0
Galway Rural Development Company	12	11
Cumas Partnership	14	10
Galway City Partnership	10	6
Cumas (Ed. Sub-committee)	10	1
Meitheal Mhuigheo	10	7
Waterford Area and Development Partnerships	44	39
PAUL Partnership	10	7
West Limerick Resources	8	2
South Kerry Development Partnership	10	5
Cork City Partnership	8	1
Partnership Trá Lí	8	4