Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I will repeat my reply. The Ministers of State will be given delegated functions. Some of them have cross-cutting responsibilities. The reason for having cross-cutting responsibilities and removing ridiculous distinctions between departmental silos is to make Ministers of State more effective and give them a wider remit to cover all the policy aspects that may reside in different Departments. The discussion on Leaders' Questions was instructive in this regard. Technically, the Office of the Minister for Children has three different policy areas, namely, justice, health and education. These have been brought together and, as everyone will privately acknowledge — they should also do so publicly given the excellent leadership being provided at Civil Service level in that office — it is doing an outstanding job in its current construction, much better than would have been the case when it was acting separately in different Departments.

We are trying to introduce innovative, more progressive ways to ensure Ministers of State are given an opportunity to show the full range of their talents by having access to various departmental areas in particular areas of activity. For example, the area of children is covered by education and, as we have heard in respect of the child protection area, health, as well as justice in terms of juvenile justice issues and so on. This approach is proving correct and similar approaches are being taken in the areas of elderly people and integration. The Minister of State, Deputy Conor Lenihan, faces a major challenge in the area of integration and will have the full support of all colleagues in trying to address this very important issue.

Securing effective cross-cutting responsibility across Departments is something of a culture change in public administration. Diligent, able and persistent Ministers are required to ensure they get the type of response, co-operation and outcomes they need. This requires co-operation from all Ministers and I have been clear to everyone in government that I do not believe in territoriality or Ministers having functions that are not substantive. All members of the Government have been given an onerous task which they will seek to perform conscientiously and on the basis of an esprit de corps in the Government that insists on everybody being respected and getting their job done in a co-operative and collegiate manner. That is the way good Government operates and I intend to ensure it occurs.

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