Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

In a given period, legislation must be prepared across a range of Departments and there are ongoing meetings of Cabinet sub-committees with various items on the agenda. For example, on the cross-departmental team dealing with infrastructural issues, an adviser would work with the Minister and the officials in my Department to try to co-ordinate efforts on items on the agenda, including infrastructural and transport Bills. They do not work outside the country, except in the case of my adviser on European issues who works on European Council papers, data on foreign trips or visits of delegations to this country. Other than that, these people work in Government Buildings. They are confined to dealing with matters on the Government's agenda. They do not deputise for Ministers but rather liaise between Ministers and Departments. They co-ordinate the effort to keep the process of Government work moving as swiftly as possible by ensuring items on the programme for Government are moved forward.

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