Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 29 Sep 1999

Vol. 508 No. 1

Written Answers. - Public Service Management Act.

John Bruton

Ceist:

431 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has used section 12 of the Public Service Management Act, 1997, which allows for appropriate action to be taken on cross-departmental issues in a structured way; and the areas of work of his Department which are touching on the work of other Departments in respect of which cross-departmental arrangements might be appropriate. [17364/99]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen):

I have not used section 12 of the Public Service Management Act, 1997. However, many areas of my Department involve contact with other Departments, and strong cross-departmental approaches have been in place for some time. Examples of existing relationships are:

Health Promotion	Department of Education and Science, Department of Agriculture and Food, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Department of the Environment and Local Government, Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs
Environmental Health	Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Office of the Revenue Commissioners, Department of Finance, Department of the Environment and Local Government, Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Agriculture and Food, Department of Health in Northern Ireland
Cardiovascular Strategy	Department of Education and Science, Department of Social Community and Family Affairs, Department of Finance, Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation.
Child Care	Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Department of Education and Science, Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs
Community Health	Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Department of Education and Science, Department of Agriculture, Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation
Regulatory Control on Medicinal Products and Poisons	Department of Agriculture and Food
Personnel Management and Development	Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment
Services for Older People	Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, Department of the Environment and Local Government
Planning and Evaluation Unit	National Anti-Poverty Strategy, As part of Inter Departmental Policy Committee

In the case of environmental health, I will be publishing a proposal for a national environmental health action plan – NEHAP – which will focus on the strategic development of inter governmental agency actions on a partnership basis.

Arising from a Government decision in July, 1999 a structured arrangement has been put in place to ensure a co-ordinated cross Departmental approach to the development of a national children's strategy. A high level interdepartmental group has been established and a principal officer has been specifically assigned to lead a cross departmental team which will do the drafting work.

In relation to community health, a principal officer of the Department chairs the national drugs strategy team comprising members of other Departments, health boards, voluntary organis ations and community groups whose main responsibility is the monitoring and support of local drugs forces which have been established in areas where the drug problem is most acute.