Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 February 2004
209 Mr. Kehoe asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the structures in place at Government level, which facilitate interdepartmental co-operation between those Departments with a responsibility for community development issues; the recommendations and research publications in the public domain which show the presence of joined up Government on this issue [3229/04]
View answerWhile I and my colleagues in Government are always interested in facilitating interdepartmental co-operation, the establishment and maintenance of formal structures at Government level is a matter for Government rather than individual Ministers.
For the Deputy's information the main formal structure of the nature referred to in the question, apart from the Cabinet itself, is the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion.
For my own part, I always encourage my Department to take every opportunity to workin close co-operation with other Departmentsand agencies. In this context, I refer the Deputy to the cross-ministerial review of schemes which I have initiated with my colleagues, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Decisions arising from this review have been set out by me in this Housetoday.
