asked the Taoiseach if he will give details of the separate offices established for some Ministers of State; if he will outline the powers, duties and responsibilities of said Ministers of State; and if he will also outline the resources made available to their respective offices in terms of finance and personnel.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Offices and Responsibilities of Ministers of State.
8.
The separate offices established for some Ministers of State are as follows: Department of Agriculture and Food, (i) Office of the Minister for Food, (ii) Office of the Minister for Horticulture; Department of Industry and Commerce, (i) Office of the Minister for Science and Technology, (ii) Office of the Minister for Trade and Marketing and Department of Energy, (i) Office of the Minister for Forestry. The statutory powers, duties and responsibilities of the Ministers of State are set out in the relevant delegation of ministerial functions orders which have been laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas.
Since there is no separate Vote for each office, the resources made available to the offices are agreed between the Ministers and the Ministers of State concerned having regard to the delegation of functions involved.
In the light of the fact that it is purely by way of delegation of functions, as applies with other governments, for specific purposes, how does the Taoiseach see that these changes, which seem to be cosmetic rather than anything else, are to achieve the objectives he outlined in that famous document issued before the election a year ago?
It will be a combination of factors. First, much will depend on the calibre of the Ministers concerned and I am very happy about that. Secondly, establishing an office gives a clear indication of focus and emphasis on the area concerned and indicates the Government's intention to pursue vigorously development in these sectors. Already, the results of these changes are apparent. We are achieving progress in all these areas and I am satisfied that the changes have been beneficial.
Is the Taoiseach aware that in the food sector, apart from the high growth in drink concentrates, output declined in 1987? Therefore, when he talks about results does he not think it premature to be talking about good results at this stage? Without in any way taking from the high calibre of the people involved — I certainly would not cast any personal aspersions on them — can the Taoiseach say how the necessary growth in these areas can be achieved by the Minister of State in these separate offices without direct access to such Exchequer funding as is available for the promotion of these areas?
These offices have succeeded in pulling together in a concentrated way all the different functions relating to the different sectors. The Deputy knows for instance, that in the food sector, until this office was established there were a whole lot of diverse operations and functions in place. One of the main purposes of the offices is to put all these things together so as to concentrate directly on job promotion, for instance in the food industry. In addition the Minister of State, in agreement with his Minister in Government, will have specific funds allocated to him over which he will have control and he will be able to relate the expenditure of these funds specifically to the targets he has in mind for the sector concerned. The Deputy will also accept that one of the problems that a Minister of State had, and before that a Parliamentary Secretary, was that they were very often in a Department which was largely used in a kind of haphazard way by the Minister. In trying to put some focus onto the work of these junior Ministers our approach has been helpful and beneficial.
Did the Taoiseach give any consideration to enabling these Ministers of State, who apparently do not have any special funding or special resources available to them, under Government procedures to have access to the Cabinet in relation to their specific concerns?
We have initiated a system whereby from time to time we have Government meetings which are of an omnibus character to review the whole economic spectrum, particularly the development sectors of the economy and Ministers of State attend and participate in these meetings.
I wish to deal now with another question.
Basically the operation of this policy would depend on a good relationship between the Minister of State and the Minister involved.
We have dwelt sufficiently on this question. I am calling Deputy Ruairí Quinn and I ask him to be very brief.
In the establishment of these separate offices of State for Ministers, does the Taoiseach intend to establish separately within the framework of the Estimates a specific subhead for each Minister?
No. In some cases, yes, but that is something that will evolve. At the moment in most cases a specific part of the Government Minister's budget is allocated to the junior Minister and he or she is given control over that part of it.
Would the Taoiseach agree that, until such time as an office holder has control and responsibility for a subhead, or a group of subheads, effectively he is not perceived by the civil servants either in that Department or any other Department as having any delegating power?
We cannot debate this matter today.
There is some substance in that.
I am calling Deputy McDowell for a final supplementary.
In view of the Taoiseach's assurance to this House that he asked his Minister of State and several of his Cabinet colleagues to relinquish their positions on local authorities late last June, and his assurance to this House that they would do so as soon as they could, will the Taoiseach confirm that he will now become slightly more strident in his demands that they should give up these offices and concentrate——
The Deputy is deviating from the subject matter of the question.
Stridency will never be part of my behaviour.
Will the Taoiseach encourage them?
Yes.