Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

When the decentralisation programme was announced, the then Minister for Finance appointed a decentralisation implementation group to drive the process forward. In March, July and November of 2004 and June 2005, the group published progress reports on the implementation of the programme. Each of these reports was formally submitted either to me or my predecessor before being considered by the Government. The Government approved the recommendations contained in these reports.

I met the current chair of the group last July to receive an update on the main issues arising in the implementation of the programme. In addition, I understand that my predecessor met the former chair of the group in March 2004 and I also met the former chair of the group in November 2004.

The group has held a series of meetings with Secretaries General of Departments involved in the programme to discuss the planning framework in place, to assess progress to date and to hear about the challenges arising and steps proposed to address them. Following this round of discussions, the group is meeting the chief executives of a number of State agencies. I intend to meet the chairman of the decentralisation implementation group shortly to receive an update on the outcome of these meetings.

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