Vol. 553 No. 5
176 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Finance when legislation will be introduced to create the proposed new Department of Communications and Natural Resources; the proposed new functions of this Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13568/02]
Section 6(1) of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1939, permits the Government to transfer, by order, functions from one Minister or Department to another and to change the name and title of Ministers and Departments. Two orders transferred functions to the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources and the Department of Marine and Natural Resources as follows: Broadcasting (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial functions) Order, 2002, S.I. No. 299 of 2002, transferred functions in relation to Broadcasting from the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands and the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands; and Communications, Energy and Geological Survey of Ireland (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial functions) Order, 2002, S.I. No. 300 of 2002, transferred functions in relation to Communications, Energy and the Geological Survey of Ireland from the Minister for Public Enterprise and the Depart ment of Public Enterprise. Both orders were effective from 18 June 2002.
A further order entitled Marine and Natural Resources (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order, 2002, S.I. No. 307 of 2002, changed the title of the Minister and the Department from that of the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources and the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources to the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. This order is effective from 19 June 2002.
