Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

On the last count, there were four or five Ministers of State in the Department of Education and Science. At times, it is hard to keep up with it. Surely, they all are overburdened with work. It is proposed by the Taoiseach that the youth affairs section of the Department will be hived off to the Department of Health and Children, which effectively leaves the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Haughey, with a two-day week job in Marlborough Street. Before a decision is taken by the Minister to do this, will the House have an opportunity to debate what is, in effect, a transferring order for an entire section of one Department to another, given that non-formal education sectors such as youth work are an essential part of the Department of Education and Science, not the Department of Health and Children.

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