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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 15 Oct 2002

Vol. 555 No. 2

Ceisteanna–Questions. - Ministerial Appointments.

Enda Kenny

Question:

9 Mr. Kenny asked the Taoiseach the functions of the Ministers of State in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13613/02]

The Government appointed Ms Mary Hanafin as Minister of State at my Department and Government Chief Whip. Mr. Dick Roche was appointed Minister of State at my Department and at the Department of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for European affairs.

As Chief Whip, Deputy Hanafin is primarily responsible for the organisation of Government business in the Dáil and for the Government's programme for Dáil reform. She also oversees preparation of the Government's legislative programme and has responsibility for the Central Statistics Office. I have also assigned her special responsibility for information society development. A large number of Ministers and Departments have responsibility for advancing various aspects of the information society agenda and Deputy Hanafin will monitor progress, with particular regard to advancing strategic priorities. Co-ordination will be facilitated through the Cabinet committee on the information society, on which the Minister of State will have a lead functional responsibility, supported by the policy unit in the Department of the Taoiseach which supports her work.

Deputy Roche will play a key co-ordinating role in the ratification of the Treaty of Nice. He will also play a pivotal role in advancing preparations for Ireland's Presidency of the European Union in 2004. In addition to these duties, Deputy Roche will have a heavy workload within the Department of Foreign Affairs, representing the Government at meetings in a wide range of contexts related to European affairs matters and representing Ireland at EU meetings at Minister of State level on European Union affairs.

It appears that Ireland is slipping further down the international league in the area of e-commerce broadband access. What is the role of the Minister of State in this regard and what resources has she at her disposal to reverse this trend, which is critical for the development of the country in the years ahead?

Is the Taoiseach happy with the system through which advisory roles are adopted, consultants appointed and contracts awarded for broadband cable laying? It appears that a number of previously defunct companies have reappeared under new names and have acquired contracts. Is the Taoiseach happy that all is well in this area?

I will not answer detailed questions. In some cases these are a matter for the Minister of State and in others for the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources Deputy Dermot Ahern. May I clarify the specific responsibilities of the Minister and Minister of State regarding the two issues raised by Deputy Kenny? Questions relating to a specific area of implementation are a matter for the Minister or Minister of State with responsibility for that area. The question asked by Deputy Kenny is in the area of telecommunications infrastructure. This is the responsibility of the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Dermot Ahern, who is fully responsible for the roll-out of the broadband contracts and the various initiatives that are proceeding. I am sure he is anxious to report to the Deputy on what has happened, the contracts that have been published and who is involved.

The other issue relates to the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Hanafin. Because there are a number of Ministers involved in the area of communications infrastructure, there is a requirement that this involvement is co-ordinated. The Cabinet committee on the information society includes all the relevant Ministers, and the e-strategy group at secretary general level is also co-ordinated from my Department. The information society implementation group of assistant secretaries is also co-ordinated.

There are a number of groups pulling the information society together across a great range of Departments and agencies. It is best that somebody at the centre is co-ordinating the activity. That person is not involved in day-to-day matters or in actually doing these things, but is co-ordinating and ensuring that the information society, e-government policy, e-business and all the other initiatives that have been launched in recent years, and the initiatives presented by the Information Society Commission, are dealt with. That is the role of the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Hanafin.

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. Given that the mechanics of the Dáil have changed in terms of new representation and numbers, and given the extra responsibility placed upon the Minister of State as a consequence, does the Taoiseach envisage a readjustment of responsibilities, subsequent to the Nice treaty being, I hope, passed, whereby a dedicated Minister of State could concentrate fully on this most important area for the development of the country? The Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Hanafin, must attempt to run the business of the Dáil in the changed circumstances that apply here while also shouldering the critical responsibility of the implementation of e-commerce broadband access. Has she the resources to see that is implemented on time and to our advantage? I am trying to help the Minister of State.

I do not envisage that being a difficulty. There was previously a void in the system in that no Minister had specific responsibility for co-ordination. There is now a Cabinet committee on the information society and the lead role in that will be taken by the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Hanafin. However, the groups and people driving this – whether the Information Society Commission, the e-strategy group of secretaries general or the implementation group of assistant secretaries – co-ordinate their activities within their Departments. A number of Ministers are directly involved and, increasingly, they and their officials, as the Deputy correctly said, put considerable time into this. In my Department and in others, the e-government initiative is taking up a considerable amount of the time of senior officials. The Minister of State's role is to co-ordinate those committees, to keep abreast of their activities and to give a ministerial leadership role. I have no doubt the Minister will be able to do that.

As the prime duties of the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs will be the preparations for the next Intergovernmental Conference and the work of ensuring that is an open, inclusive process for the Irish people, would it not be more appropriate that the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs be primarily a Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs rather than at the Department of the Taoiseach? Why is that not the case?

As has been the practice, the Minister of State is at both the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

He is based in the Department of the Taoiseach.

He is based in my Department but most of his meetings are at the Department of Foreign Affairs. After the Nice treaty referendum, the Minister will spend more and more time at the Department of Foreign Affairs because he will be the co-ordinator and driver not only of the Intergovernmental Conference and the European Convention, but also of the 2004 arrangements, which are primarily a matter for the Department of Foreign Affairs. He will be involved in such areas for the next two years, certainly.

Are the civil servants assigned to the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs drawn from the Department of the Taoiseach or the Department of Foreign Affairs?

The European Union section of my Department is not large. Most of the officials in question come from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Is the Taoiseach aware there are serious problems in relation to accommodation arrangements for Members of this House, five months on from the general election?

That does not arise from Question No. 9.

It certainly does. Is it not a function of a Minister of State? I ask the Chair to clarify his ruling on the matter, as the question put down by Deputy Kenny focuses on the responsibilities of Ministers of State. As I understand it, the Minister of State, Deputy Hanafin, is responsible for the matter I have raised. Is the Taoiseach aware of the grave problems faced by elected Members of this House who have not yet been adequately accommodated in terms of office space, support equipment and other facilities? This is a major problem.

The Deputy is making a statement.

It is not a statement. I am seeking clarification from the Taoiseach.

The question tabled by Deputy Kenny is a general one.

Deputy Ó Caoláin is making a sort of contribution.

That would be it.

I welcome Deputy Kenny's help.

I understand that each Member of the House has an office, which was not the case in the past. The offices are satisfactory and extremely nice and I understand that Deputy Ó Caoláin's office is absolutely fantastic.

Perhaps the Taoiseach would like to swap.

The Taoiseach has obviously been there.

Deputy Ó Caoláin is looking for accommodation for his own monitoring unit.

Deputy Naughten, without interruption.

Is the Taoiseach aware that Ireland is ranked among the bottom three OECD countries in terms of broadband connectivity and the information society? Is he aware that investment in broadband technologies is as significant today as the expansion of the electricity network was in the 1950s and 1960s? I have two further questions about the role of the Minister of State, Deputy Hanafin. Does she have the resources to ensure that developments in various Departments are compatible with each other and are properly implemented? We do not want to see turf wars between Departments. How many times has the Cabinet committee on the information society met since the general election? Is the Minister for Transport, Deputy Brennan, a member of the committee?

The Deputy's first two questions would be more appropriate to the Minister for Communications, the Marine and Natural Resources. I will allow the third question, but the fourth question does not arise from Question No. 9, which is before the House.

With respect, a Cheann Comhairle, it is important that the Taoiseach is aware of the importance of this infrastructure.

Of course it is important.

I have asked a direct question in relation to that. Surely, as the leader of the country, he should know the significance of the pathetic state of our infrastructure.

It is a long-standing tradition in this House that the Taoiseach does not answer questions that are more appropriate to another Minister.

The questions the Deputy has asked may be more relevant to another Minister. As I said to Deputy Kenny earlier, the information society is a concern of many Departments. Officials from my Department provide the co-ordination necessary to ensure that the information society agenda is met. Government initiatives relating to matters such as e-business and research and development have been successfully co-ordinated by my Department. It is important that a Minister of State be assigned to oversee an important initiative like the information society. Officials from outside the Department of the Taoiseach meet in my Department to discuss the information society, so it makes sense that the co-ordinating Minister should be assigned to my Department. The Cabinet committee on the information society meets once a month and I believe a meeting will take place this week.

Has the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Hanafin, settled into her job? Is she happier now than when the Taoiseach appointed her?

I am always happy.

The Deputy should ask an appropriate question.

I refer to the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Roche, whom the Taoiseach inflicted on us in the lead up to the Nice treaty referendum. What specific responsibilities will the Minister of State take up following the referendum?

The Minister for Public Transport, Deputy Brennan, is happy to be gone.

In broad terms, the key duties and responsibilities of the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs are to represent Ireland at EU meetings dealing with European affairs at Minister of State level, which is a long standing committee; to represent Ireland at meetings relating to European affairs where representation would normally be at Foreign Minister level but where the Minister for Foreign Affairs is unable to attend because the General Affairs Council meets frequently – it meets at least two or three times a month; liaising with Irish MEPs; co-ordinating monitoring arrangements for the Presidency of the European Union in 2004 and the associated preparatory work, which has started; to generally represent the Government in a wide range of contexts concerned with EU matters, and expand Government policy in the European Union where a ministerial presence is appropriate.

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