John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is fair to say that you are an experienced civil servant and would know extensively about how the Civil Service operates, its faults and failures as well as the positive side to it, which must be considered too. You have a broad knowledge of it. You are referred to as the Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach but in correspondence I often see it stated that you are the Secretary to the Government. What does the role of Secretary to the Government entail?