Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 Sep 2003

Vol. 571 No. 1

Written Answers. - Departmental Bodies.

Jerry Cowley

Question:

226 Dr. Cowley asked the Taoiseach the details of all working groups, advisory groups, consultancies and so on, established or commissioned by his Department since January 2001; the membership of each; the date expected to report; and if it is planned that these should be published or not. [20300/03]

The Taoiseach

As the Deputy will appreciate, my Department is involved in a range of interdepartmental activities and initiatives, including many groups which are under the auspices of other Departments. The most significant of the working groups, advisory groups and consultancies set up in my Department since January, 2001 are detailed below:

(1) The new Information Society Commission was appointed in November 2001 as an advisory body to the Government pursuant to a Government Decision. The commission has published a number of reports to date and others are in preparation.

(2) The Grangegorman working group was established in May 2001.

(3) The Telecommunications working group was established in September 2001.

(4) The expert group on the treatment of foreign donations was established by Government in February 2001 to assist Government in its examination of the constitutional and other matters concerning the treatment of foreign donations. The expert group reported to Government in May 2001.

(5) The anti-inflation group was established in April 2003.

(6) The Government agreed in July 2003 that a task force, consisting of the existing council of the NCPP would provide strategic direction for the forum on the workplace of the future.

(7) The high level group on regulation was established in May 2001 to co-ordinate implementation of the regulatory reform agenda.

(8) The IFSC clearing house group and three working groups – funds, banking and treasury and insurance – were reconstituted in November 2002. Membership of these groups is set out in the attached schedule.

(9) The pan-European pension task force was established on 11 September 2003. The task force reports to the IFSC clearing house group on a bi-monthly basis. It is not planned to publish the reports of the task force.

(10) The steering group on social and equality statistics was established in April 2003 to undertake a scoping study to identify how a national framework for social and equality statistics could be developed. The report was published on 17 April 2003.

(11) The revised national anti-poverty strategy, NAPS, Building an Inclusive Society, provided for the establishment of a social inclusion consultative group involving the social partners and anti-povertyexperts to offer its advice and observations on the NAPS process as it develops. The group was established in May 2003.

(12) Under Sustaining Progress, a steering group representing Government and five representatives from each of the social partner pillars was established with overall responsibility for management of the implementation of the agreement. The group held its first meeting in May 2003 and has met on four occasions since. The steering group will review, monitor and report on progress in the implementation and progression of the wider policy framework at the quarterly plenary meetings.

Details of consultancies engaged by my Department since January 2001 are set out in the table below:

Name	Type of consultancy	Year
Arthur Anderson	Management Information Framework	2001
Oracle	Management Information Framework	2002
Dr. Jane Pillinger	Research on Equality/Diversity aspect of Quality Customer Service	2001
CBC	Customer Service Guidelines Document	2001
Deloitte & Touche	Value for money audit of mobile phones	2001
Sureskills.com	IT consultancy	2001
Alex Mathiseon (OECD)	Consultancy Services at meetings of the steering group on evaluation of SMI	2001
Octagon Ltd	ICT strategic Principles	2002
System Dynamics	Maintenance of Social Partners Extranet	2001
Hosca Management Consultants	Employee Opinion Survey	2002
In.vision	eCabinet-Implementation	2002
KPMF/Bearing Point Inc	Implementation of the HRMS	2002
PA Consulting	Evaluation of SMI	Report published March 2002
Dr. Patrick Butler	Evaluation of Customer Action Plans	Report published April 2002
NGM Market Research	Report on communicating change and modernisation in the Civil Service	Report published January 2003
Lansdowne Market Research	Irish Civil Service Customer Satisfaction Survey	Report published January 2003
Jacob and Associates	Consultancy on Better Regulation	2003

Membership of new Information Society Commission

Danny O'Hare (Chairman)	Former President of DCU (Dublin City University)
Claire Cunningham	Aura Internet Services Ltd.
Dr. Christopher Coughlan	Hewlett Packard
Michael Byrne	Ennis Information Age Town
Jerry Shanahan	Amicus
Karen Hynes	Chambers of Commerce of Ireland
Colm Reilly	PA Consultants
Inez Bailey	National Adult Literacy Association
Dr. Eamonn Conway	Mary Immaculate College, UL (University of Limerick)
Robert Johnson	JLS Technology
Clodagh O'Donnell	IBM
Dee Cari	Torque Management
Marion O'Neill	Kilkenny Information Age Town
Dr. Patricia O'Hara	Western Development Commission
Christopher Took	Web Developer (resigned in September 2002)
Charles Stanley-Smith	Piercom
Brian Lennon	St. Olivers College, Drogheda
Donal Toolan	Forum of People with Disabilities
Kathryn Raleigh	IBEC
Joe Horan	County Manager, South Dublin County Council
Peter Ryan	Department of the Taoiseach

The Grangegorman working group

Membership included officials from the Departments of the Taoiseach, Education and Science, Finance, Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Health and Children and the former Department of Public Enterprise.

Officials from Dublin Corporation, the Dublin Institute of Technology and the Eastern Regional Health Authority were also members of the working group.

The working group engaged the services of A&L Goodbody and Farrell Grant Sparks whose consultancy report was published in November 2001. This report is available on the Department of the Taoiseach website.

The working group published its report, Ad hoc Interdepartmental Working Group on Development of Grangegormans Site, in March 2002. This report is available on the Department of the Taoiseach website.

The Telecommunications Working GroupMembership included officials from the Departments of the Taoiseach, Education and Science, Finance, Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the former Department of Public Enterprise.

Forfás officials were the only outside agency who were members of this working group.

The working group published its findings – CrossDepartmental Team on Infrastructure and PPPs – Telecommunications Working Group Report – in March 2002. This report is available on the Department of the Taoiseach website.

Anti-inflation GroupThis Group was established in April 2003.

MembershipMr. Dermot McCarthy, Secretary General, Department of the Taoiseach (Chair)

Mr. Philip Kelly, Assistant Secretary, Department of the Taoiseach

Mr. Turlough O'Sullivan, Director General, IBEC

Mr. Brian Geoghegan, Director, IBEC

Mr. David Begg, General Secretary, ICTU

Mr. Manus O'Riordan, Head of Research, SIPTU

Mr. Donal McNally, Second Secretary General, Department of Finance

Mr. Dermot Mulligan, Department of Finance

Mr. Ronald Long, Assistant Secretary, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

ReportsThe group has finalised its report to Government which will be published shortly.

Taskforce on the Forum on the Workplace of the FutureThe Government agreed in July, 2003, that a Task force, consisting of the existing council of the NCPP would provide strategic direction for the forum on the workplace of the future.

Membership of the Council of the NCPP

Chairperson:
Peter Cassells,	Executive Chairperson, NCPP
Government Departments:
Philip Kelly	Deputy Chairperson, Council of the NCPP and Assistant Secretary at the Department of the Taoiseach
Ciarán Connolly	Assistant Secretary, Department of Finance
John Walsh	Assistant Secretary, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Sylda Langford	Assistant Secretary, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
Employers:
Brendan McGinty	Director Human/Industrial Resources, IBEC
Liam Doherty	Director, Human Resource Services, IBEC
Marie Moynihan	Human Resource Manager, Dell Direct
Terry McEvoy	Director, Industrial Relations, CIF
Unions:
Tom Wall	Assistant General Secretary, ICTU(Mr Tom Wall has retired and will be replaced by an alternative ICTU nominee shortly)
Jack O'Connor	General President, SIPTU and member of the Executive Council of ICTU
Marie Levis	Assistant General Secretary, IMPACT
John Tierney	National Secretary MSF and member of the Executive Council of ICTU
Independent Members:
Prof. Bill Roche	Dean of Research, Smurfit Business School, UCD
Dr. Sheelah Ryan	Chief Executive Officer, Western Health Board
Seamus O'Brien	Partnership Facilitator, Galtee Meats
Prof. Kathy Monks	Dean, Dublin City University Business School

ReportsThe inaugural session of the forum will take place in Dublin Castle on 6 and 7 October 2003 and its report is expected in autumn 2004.

High Level Group on RegulationThe high level group was established in May 2001 to co-ordinate implementation of the regulatory reform agenda.

The current membership is:Mr. Philip Kelly, Department of the Taoiseach (Chair)

Mr. Edward Donelan, Office of the Attorney General

Mr. Tom Reeves, Commission for Electricity Regulation

Mr. Declan Purcell, Competition Authority

Ms Carmel Foley, Director of Consumer Affairs

Mr. Brian Whitney, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Mr. Michael Canny, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government

Mr. Aidan Dunning, Department of Finance

Mr. Tom Mooney, Department of Health and Children

Mr. Séamus Carroll, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Ms Etain Doyle, Commission for Communication Regulation

Mr. Maev Nic Lochlainn, Department of Transport

Ms. Sara White, Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.

ReportsThe high level group has overseen the completion of a number of reports, all of which are available on www.betterrregulation.ie

*A Progress Report (December 2002);

*"Towards Better Regulation", a consultation document (February 2002);

*"Reports on submissions received arising from public consultation on Towards Better Regulation" (December 2002).

IFSC Clearing House Group Members

*Denotes new member since Nov. 2002

*Mr. Brian Collins, Bank of Ireland Securities Services

Mr. Michael Deasy, Central Bank

Mr. Seán Dorgan, IDA Ireland

Mr. Brendan Logue, IDA Ireland

Mr. Paul Haran, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Mr. Dermot McCarthy, Department of the Taoiseach

Mr. Donal McNally, Department of Finance

Mr. Peter Coyne, Dublin Docklands Development Authority

*Mr. Michael Ryan, Merrill Lynch Capital Markets Bank Ltd.

Mr. Brian Goggin, Bank of Ireland

*Mr. Denis Casey, Irish Life & Permanent plc

Mr. Colm Doherty, AIB Capital Markets

Ms. Muriel Hinch, Revenue Commissioners

Mr. Vincent Madigan, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Mr. Keith McDonald, Citibank

Ms. Brigid McManus, Department of Finance

Mr. Frank Mullen, Revenue Commissioners

Ms. Ann Nolan, Department of Finance

Mr. Eamon O'Brien, AON Insurance (Managers) Dublin Ltd.

Ms. Aileen O'Donoghue, Financial Services Ireland

*Mr. Pat Wall, PriceWaterhouseCoopers

Mr. Willie Slattery, State Street.

IFSC Funds Working Group*Denotes new member since Nov. 2002

Mr. Brian Bermingham, Department of Finance

Mr. Gavin Caldwell, KBC Asset Management

*Mr. Brian Collins, Bank of Ireland Securities Services

Ms. Eimear Cowhey, Pioneer Investments

*Mr. David Dillon, Dillon Eustace

Mr. Paul Dobbyn, A&L Goodbody

Ms. Mary Farrell, Department of Finance

*Ms. Anne Fitzgerald, Irish Association of Investment Managers

*Mr. Michael Jackson, Matheson Ormsby Prentice

Ms. Martina Kelly, Central Bank of Ireland

Mr. Sean Langdon, IDA Ireland

Mr. Vincent Madigan, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Ms. Alice Mahony, Department of Finance

*Mr. Damien Neylin, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Mr. Sean O'Flaherty, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Ms. Maire O'Connor, Ernst & Young

Mr. Gary Palmer, Dublin Funds Industry Association

Mr. George Shaw, Department of the Taoiseach

Mr. Willie Slattery, State Street

Ms. Deirdre Somers, Irish Stock Exchange.

IFSC Banking and Treasury Group Members

*Denotes new member since Nov. 2002

Mr. Brian Bermingham, Department of Finance

Mr. Walter Brazil, AIB Capital Markets

Ms. Breda Cassidy, Central Bank of Ireland

*Mr. Dermot Cahillane, DePfa Bank Europe plc

Ms. Mary Farrell, Department of Finance

Mr. Enda Faughnan, PricewaterhouseCoopers

*Mr. John Gilsenan, Porsche Financial Management

*Ms. Grainne Hennessy, Arthur Cox

Ms. Muriel Hinch, Revenue Commissioners

Ms. Jean Kennedy, Revenue Commissioners

Ms. Alice Mahony, Department of Finance

Mr. Keith McDonald, Citibank

Mr. Paul McGowan, KPMG

*Mr. John Moran, Managing Director Zurich Bank

Ms. Aileen O'Donoghue, Financial Services Ireland

Ms. Heather Putt, IDA Ireland

*Mr. Liam Quirke, Matheson Ormsby Prentice

Mr. Paul Reck, Deloitte Touche

*Mr. Franco Schepes, Unicredito Italiano Bank (Ireland) plc

*Mr. Ken Slattery, Bank of Ireland

Mr. David Smyth, Ernst & Young.

IFSC Insurance Group Members*Denotes new member since Nov. 2002

Mr. Brian Bermingham, Department of Finance

Mr. Frank Brosnan, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Mr. John Byrne, Cologne Reinsurance

Mr. Ian Clancy, DIMA

Mr. Brian Daly, KPMG

Ms. Fiona Dunn, IDA Ireland

Mr. Colm Fagan, Life Strategies Ltd.

Mr. David Fagan, Irish Life International

Ms. Mary Farrell, Department of Finance

Mr. P.J. Henehan, Ernst & Young

Mr. Eamonn Henry, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

*Mr. Michael Kemp, Irish Insurance Federation

Mr. John Larkin, William Fry Solicitors

Mr. Brendan Logue, IDA Ireland

Ms. Alice Mahony, Department of Finance

Mr. Eamon O'Brien, AON Insurance Managers (Dublin) Ltd.

Mr. Michael O'Donnell, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Ms. Aileen O'Donoghue, Financial Services Ireland

Ms. Rachel Panagiodis, Hansard Europe Ltd.

The Pan European Pension Task ForceThe pan-european pension task force was established on 11 September 2003. The task force reports to the IFSC clearing house group on a bi-monthly basis. It is not planned to publish the reports of the task force.

Membership of the task force, as of 26 September 2003, is as follows:

Mr. Roddy Buckley, A & L Goodbody

Mr. Brian Bermingham, Department of Finance

Mr. Liam Butler, Bank of Ireland Securities Services

Mr. Gavin Caldwell, KBC Asset Management

Mr. David Fagan, Irish Life International

Mr. Jim Firn, Frank Russell

Mr. Sean Langdon, IDA Ireland

Ms. Anne Maher, Pensions Board

Mr. Barry Mansfield, Department of the Taoiseach

Mr. Brendan McCormack, Revenue Commissioners

Ms. Aileen O'Donoghue, FSI

Mr. Paul O'Faherty, Mercers

Ms. Rachel Panagiodis, Hansard

Mr. Gerry Ryan, IAPF

Mr. George Shaw, Department of the Taoiseach

Ms. Anne Vaughan, Department of Social and Family Affairs

Mr. Pat Wall, PwC (Chair).

Secretariat is provided by the Department of the Taoiseach.

Membership of Steering Group on Social and

Equality Statistics

Professor Frances Ruane	NSB
Brian Nolan	ESRI
Gerry O'Hanlon	CSO
Brenda Boylan	Department of the Taoiseach
Sharon Finegan	Department of the Taoiseach
Gerry Brady	CSO
Gillian Roche	CSO
Helen Murphy	D/Agriculture and Food
Frank O'Donnell	D/Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
Evan Breen	D/Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
Grainne Dooher	D/Education and Science
Muiris O'Connor	D/Education and Science
Amy Hubbard	D/Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Maria Graham	D/Environment and Local Government
Norita Griffin	D/Environment and Local Government
Dermot Quigley	D/Finance
Charlie Hardy	D/Health and Children
Hugh Magee	D/Health and Children
Ciara O'Shea	D/Health and Children
Anne-Marie McGauran	D/Justice, Equality and Law Reform
Mark Manto	D/Justice, Equality and Law Reform
John O'Callaghan	D/Justice, Equality and Law Reform
Paddy Molloy	Office of the Revenue Commissioners
Ciaran Lawlor	D/Social and Family Affairs
Paul Morrin	D/Social and Family Affairs
Patricia Murphy	D/Social and Family Affairs
Kathleen Stack	D/Arts, Sport and Tourism
Laurence Bond	Equality Authority
Eithne Fitzgerald	TCD
Tony McCashin	TCD
Dr. Liz McWhirter	NISRA and DHSSPS

Membership of National Anti-Poverty Strategy (NAPS)

Chris Whelan	The Economic and Social Research Institute
Niall Crowley	Equality Authority
Laurence Bond	Equality Authority
Helen Johnston	Combat Poverty Agency
Joan O'Flynn	Combat Poverty Agency
Seamus McLoughlin	Department of Education and Science
Michael Cunniffe	Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Mary O'Donoghue	Department of the Environment and Local Government
Michael Scanlan	Department of Finance
Dermot Quigley	Department of Finance
David Brennan	Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
Charlie Hardy	Department of Health and Children
Dermot Smyth	Department of Health and Children
John O' Callaghan	Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
Mary Doyle	Department of the Taoiseach
Eileen Kehoe	Department of the Taoiseach
Jackie Harrison	IBEC
Rosheen Callender	SIPTU
Paula Carey	ICTU
Seamus Boland	Irish Rural Link
Michael O'Halloran	Irish Senior Citizens Parliament
David Stratton	Age Action Ireland
Con Lucey	IFA
Ciaran Dolan	ICMSA

Question No. 227 answered with Question No. 221.