Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)

It is not correct to say that this is within the remit of the Taoiseach at any time. When a new Government takes office, the Taoiseach determines the different Departments. I do not, however, recall a Taoiseach's deciding in the middle of a Government's term to dissolve a Department as recommended in the McCarthy report. The people want a decision on where this stands. Talking about shifting the responsibility to different Departments removes the resolve that existed in the initial stages of implementation of each project and programme. The concern is that if the Minister of the day in any Department decides on his priorities at the outset but more responsibilities are added in the middle of a Government's term, it reduces the chance of those priorities being processed as the Minister wishes, and as we in the Opposition have on many occasions supported him to do.

Will this Department survive McCarthy? Will the people employed in its various agencies be able to say that there is no change in the projected funding and that, while there may be cutbacks, the thrust of each programme remains the same and that they will not be diversified by falling under the remit of some other Minister? That is the big problem.

The Minister has not made a decision about the appointment of the Secretary General of the Department. He has said it will happen but I want to know when it will happen.

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