My Department has a Management Advisory Committee (MAC), comprising the Secretary General of the Department and the Heads of all Divisions in the Department. The MAC meets regularly, approximately once a month. To date, this year, there have been eight MAC meetings, and further meetings are planned before the end of the year.
I attend a number of the MAC meetings, together with the two Ministers of State attached to my Department, Mr. Dick Roche T.D. and Mr. Micheál Kitt T.D. My Special Advisor and my Press Advisor would normally attend MAC meetings that I am attending. Normally, minutes are circulated after each meeting of the Management Advisory Committee. The content of those minutes varies considerably, depending on the issues discussed. The meetings which I and my Ministerial colleagues have with the Management Advisory Committee offer a valuable opportunity to discuss the various strategic issues facing the Department, with a particular focus on ensuring timely delivery on the commitments made in the Programme for Government. These meetings are, of course, in addition to the ongoing contacts which I and my Ministerial colleagues have with Departmental officials, including members of the MAC, on various policy issues.