Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Deputy Adams has considerable experience in politics but he is a new Member of this House. As the Ceann Comhairle has pointed out, Cabinet sub-committees have the status of Cabinet, in the sense of confidentiality. The Deputy's question is valid. I have formed the economic management council as one Cabinet sub-committee and I am considering a number of others. There was one dealing with the Irish language, the Gaeltacht and Irishness.

We need committees on the general area of infrastructure, which would include planning and housing. I can take suggestions. I have four or five in mind and I will announce them next week. In the sense of being open, while Cabinet sub-committees retain the status of having confidentiality, unless they are mandated by the Government to make a decision they bring the issues back to Cabinet when they have teased them out or finalised them.

In the course of the next week I will outline the number of Cabinet committees I intend to form. Generally, they are chaired by the Taoiseach or whatever Minister is in charge of the area to which they are relevant. From that point of view, the issues which will be raised can be debated, as distinct from the elements which are discussed in the Cabinet sub-committees.

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