Interdepartmental Committees.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 May 2004

Thursday, 27 May 2004

Questions (212, 213)

John Bruton

Question:

212 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will list the number of meetings in the past year of each interdepartmental committee or body on which his Department is represented; the frequency and location of its meetings; and where it is intended those meetings will take place after decentralisation. [15017/04]

Written answers

Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Éamon Ó Cuív)

I take it the Deputy is referring to cross-departmental committees or equivalent. Information on each such committee or body on which my Department is represented and the frequency and location of its meetings is set out in the following table.

Regarding the Deputy's question as to where it is intended that those meetings will take place after decentralisation, I understand that while some of the committees may have completed their work before decentralisation, in general meetings of committees will continue to be held as required.

Dept.Committee/Body	Frequency of meetings	Location
Change Management Network	monthly	Dublin
QCS Implementation Group	quarterly	Dublin
QCS Working Group	quarterly	Dublin
QCS Officers Network	monthly	Dublin
Civil Service FOI Users Network	bi-monthly	Dublin
Interdepartmental Working Group on FOI	quarterly	Dublin
Mullarkey Implementation Group	monthly	Dublin
MIF Consultative Committee	Quarterly	Dublin
MIF Project Management Group	8 per annum	Dublin
Monitoring Committee for NDP/CSF	Twice yearly	Various locations nationwide
Southern & Eastern Regional Operational Programme Monitoring Committee	Twice yearly	Various locations nationwide
Border, Midland & Western Operational Programme Monitoring Committee	Twice yearly	Various locations nationwide
Expenditure Reviewers Network	Occasional	Various central locations
RAPID National Monitoring Committee	Quarterly	Dublin
Steering Group on Review of Family Support Services	Quarterly	Dublin
URBAN II Monitoring Committee	Twice yearly	Dublin
Cross Departmental review of supports to long term unemployed	No regular pattern	Dublin
North/South High Level Interdepartmental Meeting	quarterly	Dublin
Departmental North/South Co-ordinators Committee	monthly	Enniskillen
Interdepartmental Committee on the National Heritage and National Biodiversity Plans	quarterly	Dublin
Quality Customer Services Working Group to advise on the preparation of guidelines under the Official Languages Act 2003	monthly	Dublin
Inter-Departmental Group on the Implementation of Children First	3 times a year (max)	Dublin
National Rural Water Monitoring Committee	Bi-monthly	usually Mullingar, Co. Westmeath
Interdepartmental Committee for the Gaeltacht, the Irish language and the Islands	4-6 times a year or as the need arises.	Various locations
Cross-Departmental Team on Housing, Infrastructure and Public/Private Partnerships	Monthly	Dublin
Interdepartmental Committee on State Aid	Quarterly	Dublin
National Assessment Committee of the Young Peoples’ Facilities and Services Fund	Monthly	Dublin
Inter-Departmental Group on Drugs	6 times a year	Dublin
National Drugs Strategy Team	Every 2/3 Weeks	Dublin
Joint Steering Group for National Drug Strategy Mid-term Review	Monthly	Dublin
National Advisory Committee on Drugs	Every 6/8 Weeks	Dublin
Inter-Departmental Group on Homelessness	6 times a year	Dublin
Inter-Departmental Group on Alcohol	6 times a year	Dublin
National Drugs Awareness Campaign Committee	6 times a year	Dublin
EU Presidency Drugs Steering Group	Monthly	Dublin
National Steering Committee on Violence against Women	Quarterly	Dublin
Implementation & Advisory Group (IAG) of the White Paper on Supporting Voluntary Activity	Monthly	Dublin
Interdepartmental Coordinating Committee on European Union Affairs	Monthly	Dublin
Implementation of the National Spatial Strategy.	quarterly	Dublin
Assistant Secretary Group on The Information Society	quarterly	Dublin
Senior Officials Group on Social Inclusion	monthly	Dublin
Senior Officials Group on Traveller Issues	quarterly	Dublin
Review Group on the National Traveller Task Force Report	quarterly	Dublin
Board member of the Children’s Strategy	quarterly	Dublin
Heads of Internal Audit Forum	quarterly	Dublin
ICT Managers Framework	quarterly	Dublin
XML Working Group	quarterly	Dublin
Interoperability Framework	quarterly	Dublin
Webmasters Network	quarterly	Dublin
E-Cabinet Technical sub-group	quarterly	Dublin
Interdepartmental Group on Framework Arrangements	Twice yearly	Dublin
Training Officers’ Network	quarterly	Dublin
Performance Management & Development System Network	quarterly	Dublin
Review of Local and Community Development Structures Group	every eight weeks	Dublin
Implementation Group of Secretaries General	monthly	Dublin
E-Strategy Secretary General’s Group	Every 2/3 months	Dublin
Grúpa idir-rannach um stádas na Gaeilge san AE	Monthly	Dublin
Coiste Comhairleach faoi Thuarascáil Choimisiún na Gaeltachta	About every 2 months	Na Forbacha
Personnel Officers network	Quarterly	Dublin
Steering group of the Salary review of Chief Executives of North/South bodies	6 over the past two years	Dublin
Decentralisation Liaison Committee	Monthly	Dublin
Monitoring Cttee for Productive Sector OP	Twice yearly	Various locations nationwide
Monitoring Cttee for Economic and Social Infrastructure OP	Twice yearly	Various locations nationwide
Monitoring Cttee for HR OP	Twice yearly	Various locations nationwide
Monitoring Cttee for Tech. Assistance OP	Twice yearly	Various locations nationwide
Rural Dev. Co-coordinating Cttee	Twice yearly	Various locations nationwide
Steering Cttee. on Cross-border Rural Development	Twice yearly	North/South (alternates)

John Bruton

Question:

213 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will list the number of meetings in the past year of each interdepartmental committee or body on which her Department is represented; the frequency and location of its meetings; and where it is intended those meetings will take place after decentralisation. [15473/04]

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mary Coughlan)

Due to the broad range of my Department's responsibilities in delivering social welfare and related services to citizens, my officials attend meetings of a wide variety of interdepartmental committees or bodies on an ongoing basis.

Currently, officials of my Department are members of some 110 interdepartmental committees or bodies. This includes both groups for which my Department is the lead Department and those which are led by other Departments and on which my Department is represented. The frequency of meetings is determined by the lead Department for each committee or body and can range from monthly through quarterly to periodic meetings as required.

The question of where meetings will take place and the frequency of meetings post-decentralisation will depend on the individual circumstances involved. The use of alternative ways of conducting the business transacted at these meetings will also be examined with a view to ensuring that business is conducted in the most cost effective way.