Is mór agam an deis seo a fháil teacht os comhair an choiste seo inniu chun Meastacháin do Vóta Uimhir 27, An Roinn Gnothaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta, a phlé. Members will, of course, be aware that I attended this committee on 6 July to discuss the 2011 Estimates for my Department and the National Gallery of Ireland. I have since been advised that it is also necessary to secure approval for the expenditure incurred under Vote 27 for the former Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs and under Vote 24 for the Office of Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests for the period January to May this year. While I had no statutory responsibility in regard to that Department or office during the period in question, I have agreed to facilitate the process of seeking approval here today for the Estimates in question.
Members of the committee will be aware that the former Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs was abolished as part of the reorganisation of departmental functions announced by the Taoiseach in March in order to ensure greater coherence and produce more efficient delivery of services. While functions in regard to the Irish language, Gaeltacht and North-South co-operation transferred to me as Minister, other key areas of that Department relating mainly to community development, rural development and equality have not been part of my ministerial portfolio at any stage. As members will be aware, these areas are now part of the statutory functions of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Minister for Justice and Equality.
Within these obvious constraints, I will be glad to respond to the extent possible to any questions raised by members in regard to these Estimates or, if appropriate, to refer issues the committee may have to relevant Cabinet colleagues in line with ministerial functions they now hold. The former Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs held responsibility for a wide range of policies and programmes in respect of community and rural development, drugs, volunteering, social inclusion policy, family policy, the Gaeltacht, the Irish language, the islands, equality, disability, integration and human rights. The budgets, functions and personnel in respect of the former Department's activities have now transferred to several different Departments. The Revised Estimates Volume 211 gross allocation is €104.934 million and it reflects the expenditure undertaken by the Department prior to the date of the transfers of these functions.
I propose to refer briefly to some of the key areas of expenditure under the former Department's remit and to outline where the responsibility for these functions now rests. The supporting communities area - subheads B1 to B7 supported a range of social inclusion programmes, including the local community development programme, the Family Support Agency and RAPID, which targets some of the most disadvantaged urban areas in the country. Certain funding relating to charities regulation as well as dormant accounts funding to tackle economic and social disadvantage were also provided through this area. Responsibility for the supporting communities functions has, for the most part, transferred to Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government. The key exceptions to this are subhead B2 - grant to Family Support Agency, which has transferred to the new Department of Children and Youth Affairs; subhead B7 - miscellaneous services, which has transferred to Vote 38 - Social Protection and subhead B4 - charities regulation together with a small element of B6 - dormant account measures, which have transferred to Vote 19 - Justice and Equality.
I also point out that the Office of Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests - Vote 24 has also transferred to Vote 19 - Justice and Equality as part of this restructuring. I understand the expenditure under these subheads made a considerable contribution to the tasks of countering disadvantage and promoting equality and social and economic inclusion within the communities on which the spend was targeted.
With regard to tackling problem drug use area - subhead C, expenditure covered by this provision included the 14 local and ten regional drugs task forces, the emerging needs fund, the cocaine and rehabilitation fund, and a number of capital initiatives, as well as the research programme and administration of the National Advisory Committee on Drugs. Responsibility for this area has now transferred to Vote 39 - Health.
Turning to rural development - subheads D1 to D4,funding in this area was for a range of rural supports and investment programmes, including the EU co-financed rural development programme 2007-2013, designed to support and foster rural communities. Most of the functions in the rural development area have transferred to Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government. Subhead D2 - islands has transferred to my Vote 35 - Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and a nominal subhead D3.5 - Marine Leisure and Tourism transferred to Vote 31- Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
With regard to the Irish language and the Gaeltacht functions - subheads E1 to E7, my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Dinny McGinley, outlined the purposes for which these allocations are required when he was before the committee on 6 July last and I do not propose to add further to his contribution at this time.
Turning to equality, integration and human rights - subheads F1 to F12,as members will be aware, this area incorporates responsibility for, among other things, disability, gender and diversity equality, human rights, Traveller policy and integration of migrants. Agencies such as the Equality Authority, the Human Rights Commission, the National Disability Authority and the Equality Tribunal are also included in this funding. Responsibility for these areas has transferred to Vote 19 - Justice and Equality.
In regard to North-South co-operation - subheads GI to G3, this provision supports the two North-South implementation bodies, An Foras Teanga, comprising Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster-Scots Agency, and Waterways Ireland. The funding for these areas was previously brought to the attention of the committee on 6 July last. There was also an allocation for certain measures under the PEACE III and INTERREG programmes, responsibility for which has transferred to Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government.
As I indicated at the outset, I will be happy, within the constraints imposed by my particular legal responsibilities as Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, to respond, where possible, to any matter that members may wish to raise in terms of the Estimates now before the committee.