Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 12 Apr 2000

Vol. 518 No. 1

Written Answers. - Departmental Operations.

Jan O'Sullivan

Question:

60 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the steps she will take to deal with shortcomings of her Department identified in a recent internal report which said it was suffering from a remove and aloof management style, poor internal communications and widespread cynicism; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10903/00]

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Miss de Valera)

The Deputy is, I believe, referring to an article published recently in the Sunday Tribune. A number of issues were raised in that article based on extracts quoted from a discussion document on communications which was released by this Department under the Freedom of Information Act. The discussion document had been compiled as part of the partnership process in the context of Partnership 2000 and circulated throughout my Department in July 1999. The journalist in question did not seek to clarify any of the issues with my Department, and her article did not take into account the full context in which the discussion document should be considered nor changes which have taken place since that internal document was first circulated. A letter of clarification sent by my Department to the Sunday Tribune subsequent to the publication of the article has not yet been published.

As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has been through an enormous amount of change and re-structuring since its establishment in 1993 as the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht. Since then the relatively small Roinn na Gaeltachta – with staff of about 70 and an annual budget of £21 million – was amalgamated with elements of the Department of the Taoiseach – arts, cultural institutions and film – the Department of Tourism, Transport and Communications – broadcasting policy – and the Office of Public Works – heritage policy. Full responsibility for the heritage operational areas – waterways, national parks and wildlife and national monuments and historic properties – was transferred to the Department mainly in 1996 with other areas of responsibility added more recently, namely the offshore islands, Genealogy and the Placenames Commission. Over a relatively short number of years it has grown and developed into the multi-functional Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands with about 2000 staff working at over 100 locations throughout the country.

Management at my Department was faced with the challenge of addressing the inevitable difficulties in bringing together and integrating such varied, fragmented and often geographically dispersed functions into a cohesive structure and to provide the necessary infrastructure and systems, including communications systems, appropriate to such a large, complex and geographically dispersed Department. It was also recognised that organisational change, including improved communications, could not be implemented without full and frank consultation with the staff of the Department. The views of some staff as expressed in the newspaper article were expressed as part of these consultations and are an indication of the degree to which open communications are fostered within the Department.

In addressing this challenge and as part of an ongoing process of re-organisation and change, the following steps have been taken which were not reflected in the article: a sophisticated information technology strategy has been developed with the assistance of an outside consultancy; computer systems and equipment has been largely standardised across the Department using the most up to date specifications; the partnership process set up under Partnership 2000 is well established; and a comprehensive communications strategy is being developed within the context of partnership. I am confident that as a result of these and continuing initiatives that communications systems appropriate to the needs of a large, complex and diverse Department will be put in place.