Written Answers - Departmental Bodies.
Enda Kenny
Question:
436
Mr. Kenny
asked the
Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
the task forces, consultant reviews, review groups, tribunals, inquiries and similar bodies set up by his Department since July 1997; when interim or final reports were published or when publication may be expected in each case where applicable; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9896/03]
The Deputy is, of course, aware that the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs was established in June 2002, with responsibility for a range of functions previously under the remit of five Departments.
For the Deputy's convenience I am, therefore, providing the requested information in the two categories below.
1.Period since establishment of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in June 2002.Western Development Commission Review
A review of the purpose, functional area and operation of the Western Development Commission by officials of my Department commenced last July and is still in progress. The purpose of the review is to identify and address any unnecessary duplication between State agencies operating in the Western region. This review will not be finalised before a separate study of how best to support enterprise in rural areas has been carried out. Together with my colleague the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, I am currently considering the terms of reference appropriate to that study.
Island Ferry Services
The Island Ferry Services Committee, established in February 2003, is currently inviting tenders for a consultancy study on ferry services to a number of islands. It is intended to publish this report on its completion.
Advisory Committee to the Minister on the Report of the Gaeltacht Commission
The committee was established in October 2002 to advise the Minister on the Report of the Gaeltacht Commission. The committee has not as yet been asked to produce a formal report.
Údarás na Gaeltachta
Farrell, Grant, Sparks' study pertaining to the property and equity portfolio of Údarás na Gaeltachta, commissioned in August 2002 was received in March 2003. Publication of this report is not envisaged at the current time.
Irish Language Schemes
Gearóid De Faoite was engaged as a consultant in October 2002 to review the following schemes: language assistant's scheme, Irish language summer camps' scheme for Gaeltacht youth and the scheme for learners of Irish.
This report is due to be presented to the Department at an early date. No decision has yet been made in relation to the publication of this report.
CLÁR Areas
Consultants at the National Institute for Regional and Spatial Analysis at NUI Maynooth were engaged to assist in a review of CLÁR areas. Revised CLÁR areas were announced in January 2003 on foot of this study.
Area Development Management Limited.
An interdepartmental group has been established to review structures employed in the delivery of local and community development schemes including a review of existing arrangements between Area Development Management Limited, Departments and other stakeholders. It is expected that the work of the group will be completed later this year. The engagement of consultants to assist the working group with this review is currently being considered. The issue of publi cation will be addressed following the conclusion of the working group's deliberations.
2.Period July 1997 to June 2002.(i) Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands
The Report of the Working Group on Employment Creation in the Gaeltacht, established is June 2002, was published in December 2002.
A Report on Risk Appraisal and Risk Management in the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands prepared by Aidan Horan was presented to the Management Advisory Committee of that Department in March 2002.
The Report of the Gaeltacht Commission, established in April 2000, was published in May 2002.
Fitzpatrick Associates Review of Infrastructure Requirements in the Gaeltacht, commissioned in September 2000, was completed in August 2001.
The Report of the Advisory Commission on Youth, established in October 1998, was published in March 2001.
The Report of the Belmullet Task Force, established in July 2000, was published in February 2001.
The Indecon Consultants' Review of the Expenditure Programmes of Údarás na Gaeltachta, commissioned in October 1999, was completed in October 2000.
The report of the Island Air Services Committee established in July 2000 was completed in October 2001. This report has not been published.
The Report of the Inishbiggle Cable Car Committee established in October 1998 was made available to affected parties on its completion in June 1999.
(ii) Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development
The Report of theex post evaluation of Leader prepared by Brendan Kearney & Associates was produced in 2000 and is available on www.leaderii.ie.
The report of theex ante evaluation of Leader + by Fitzpatrick & Associates report was produced in 2000.
The report of the evaluation of Leader + by Fitzpatrick & Associates report was produced in 2001.
These three reports are available on request.
Two studies, by Venture International, commissioned by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland, in June 2001 on the priority issues, both economic and social, of concern to rural communities in border areas, North and South and the joint cross-Border education, training and research scoping study to identify the providers, North and South, of rural development research were completed in July 2002.
(iii) Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs
The following is the position in relation to reviews conducted by consultants:
The report of Mel Cousins' review of the schemes funding locally based men's groups was published in October 1997.
The report of the Sourcelines Consultancy review of the schemes funding locally based women's groups was published in October 1997.
The report of Fitzpatrick Associates' review of the scheme of community support for older people was published in April 1999.
The report of the Goodbody Economic Consultants study of the linkages between the community development programme and local, urban and rural development was published in May 1999.
The report of the Nexus Research, in association with Farrell Grant Sparks, on evaluation of the community development programme was published in May 2002.
Community Technical Aid were engaged to report on the Challenge of the Equality Agenda to the community development programme. A report has been received in my Department but it has not as yet been published.
The Department of Social. Community and Family Affairs engaged Goodbody Economic Consultants in June 2002 to conduct a Review of Statutory Funding of the Community and Voluntary Sector to assist the Dormant Accounts Board to prepare their disbursement plan. Their report was presented to my Department in December 2002 and is now being considered. It has not been published but is available on request at my Department.
The Department of Social. Community and Family Affairs engaged Arthur Cox, Solicitors to review aspects of charity law in January 2002. This review was completed in November 2002. It has not been published but copies are available at my Department.
Review groups:
The report of the White Paper Steering Group established following publication in May 1997 of the Green Paper on the Community and Voluntary Sector and its Relationship with the State entitled, A White Paper on a Framework for Supporting Voluntary Activity and for Developing the Relationship between the State and the Community and Voluntary Sector, was published in September 2000.
The White Paper Implementation and Advisory Group was established in July 2001 to oversee the implementation of the White Paper's recommendations. The White Paper provides for a formal review of the workings of the group after three years.
The report entitled, Tipping the Balance – Report and Recommendations to Government on Supporting and Developing Volunteering in Ireland, prepared by of the National Committee on Volunteering which first met in December 2000 was published in October 2002.
(iv) The Department of Public Enterprise
The report of the WRC (Work Research Co-Operative), Social & Economic Consultants's Review of the impact of projects commissioned under the CAIT I Initiative, commissioned in September 2001 was completed in January 2003.
(v) The Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation
A review of Ireland's drugs policy was initiated in 2000. A review group, made up of the key Departments involved in tackling drug misuse and the National Drugs Strategy Team – was established to manage the process and was assisted in its work by independent consultants – Farrell, Grants Sparks, Dr. Michael Farrell & NEXUS Research Co-operative.
Arising from the review, the National Drugs Strategy 2001-08 entitled, Building on Experience, was launched in May 2001 and is currently being implemented.
Not all of the above reports have been formally published. However, if the Deputy is interested in any particular report it will be made available to him on request.
