Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together.

A Cabinet committee on economic renewal was established in September 2008. Its role is to bring a new focus to the key policies and programmes necessary to ensure an appropriate and cohesive response to the scale of the challenges facing our economy. This includes overseeing the development and implementation of the Government's smart economy framework for sustainable economic renewal. As I indicated to the House in February and October last, the work of the Cabinet committee on housing, infrastructure and PPPs, and its supporting cross-departmental team, has been subsumed within these arrangements.

The Cabinet committee on economic renewal meets as necessary, which is generally on a monthly basis. Membership of the committee, which I chair, includes the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Minister for Finance, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Minister for Health and Children. Other Ministers attend where necessary: the Ministers for Education and Science, Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Transport, Social and Family Affairs, and Arts, Sport and Tourism. The Minister of State with responsibility for science, technology and innovation attends on a regular basis.

I chair the Cabinet committee on health, of which the other members are the Ministers for Health and Children and Finance and the Minister of State with responsibility for children and youth affairs. Other Ministers who are not members of the Cabinet committee may attend meetings where appropriate.

Cabinet committees are an integral part of the Cabinet process. Questions as to the business conducted at Cabinet or Cabinet committee meetings have never been allowed in the House on the grounds that they are internal to Government. The reasons for this approach are founded on sound policy principles and the need to avoid infringing the constitutional protection of Cabinet confidentiality. Questions on specific policy or programme matters are most appropriately addressed to the Minister with responsibility for the area concerned.

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