Vol. 508 No. 1
742 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform 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. [17368/99]
No orders have been made under section 12 in respect of my Department. My Department has responsibility for a wide range of functions, such as crime policy and promoting equality, which are related to other areas of Government policy. Appropriate arrangements are in place in my Department to ensure that issues which have a cross-departmental aspect are dealt with effectively. My Department is represented on the Interdepartmental Group on the National Children's Strategy and Integrated Service Delivery.
The further development of cross-departmental structures, whether through section 12 or other arrangements, will be considered in the context of policy developments in my Department and initiatives which will be developed by the central SMI implementation group. Among other matters, it is intended to further consider the development of crime as a strategic results area in the context of a proposed White Paper on Crime which is to be prepared by my Department.
