Particulars of the four interdepartmental committees operating under my Department and on which my Department and the Department of Health are represented are as follows:
1. Interdepartmental Co-ordinating Committee on Services for Young People with Special Education Needs.
This committee comprises a core membership of administrative and professional staff from the Departments of Education and Health. The membership of the committee can be supplemented where necessary to address particular issues. The committee is chaired by a principal officer from the Department of Education.
The committee, which held its most recent meeting on Wednesday, 5 March 1997, is charged with:
(1) identifying existing and anticipated areas of service delivery where improved or modified approaches or structures are required.
(2) in respect of each area identified, bringing forward recommendations for future approaches, specifying in each case the respective roles and responsibilities of the Departments of Education and Health and their agents.
(3) making such further recommendations as are considered necessary or desirable for the achievement of a more effective and efficient delivery of services to children with special needs, and
(4) co-ordinating policy and monitoring service delivery on an ongoing basis.
2. Interdepartmental Working Group to examine recommendations of the National Economic and Social Forum.
This working group is representative of the Departments of Education, Health, Enterprise and Employment, Social Welfare, Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Marine, Finance, Justice and FÁS. The working group is chaired by a principal officer from the Department of Education.
The working group held its most recent meeting on Thursday, 20 February 1997.
The working group is charged with:
(1) examining the feasibility, implications and costs of implementing the Forum's recommendations, in the context of existing Government policies on education, training and employment creation, commitments contained in the policy agreement "Partnership 2000" and the development of the National Anti-Poverty Strategy.