Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 1: To ask the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on the allocations in the Book of Estimates for 2007 in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39990/06]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 2: To ask the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on the Estimate for 2007 for his Department. [41242/06]

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 3: To ask the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on the Book of Estimates for 2007 for his Department. [41357/06]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 4: To ask the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on his Department's allocation in the Book of Estimates 2007. [42390/06]

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 5: To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the Estimate for 2007 for his Department. [42776/06]

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together.

The total allocation for my Department for 2007 is €40.624 million. This is an increase of 8% — €3.026 million — on the 2006 Revised Estimates allocation. Details of the Estimates are set out in the Abridged Estimates for the Public Service, which were presented to the Dáil on 16 November last.

I look forward to addressing specific issues relating to the Estimates provisions when they are considered in the usual way by the Select Committee on Finance and the Public Service. I also look forward to responding to questions which Deputies may wish to table separately in relation to specific aspects of the work of my Department.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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In the context of the draft European Union constitution, what allocation has been made in respect of the National Forum on Europe? How will the forum's programme unfold during 2007? Does the Taoiseach envisage the holding of a series of public meetings throughout the country to allow the forum to engage with organisations and individuals in respect of its work, particularly as it relates to the draft constitution?

What allocations have been made to the National Economic and Social Development Office, the National Economic and Social Council, NESC, the National Economic and Social Forum, NESF, and the National Centre for Partnership and Performance? Will the Taoiseach indicate how he sees their programmes unfolding this year?

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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I will answer the Deputy's second tranche of questions first. Last year, legislation was introduced to establish the National Economic and Social Development Office, NESDO, as the umbrella organisation to co-ordinate the work of NESC, NESF and NCPP and to create and realise synergies between the work of these bodies. Accordingly, from now on a single funding provision for these bodies will be included in the Estimates under subhead B. The allocation for NESC is €1.116 million, while it is €880,000 for NESF and €1.62 million for NCPP. The allocation for NESDO is €1.937 million. The increase in funding across the four bodies is approximately 10%, which reflects increased operating costs. Some of the latter obviously relate to pay but many of them relate to activities in 2007. By coming together and using only one premises and secretariat, many efficiencies have been created.

The Estimate includes a provision of €1.621 million to provide for the ongoing work of the National Forum on Europe. The increase in funding reflects the expanded and increased levels of activity on the forum's part. It would be inappropriate for me to comment on the day-to-day operations of the forum because it operates independently. However, there are resources available for the forum to continue and expand its work. The Deputy will be aware, from contacts with his group in Europe, that considerable momentum has been created by the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, in terms of pressing on with the constitution and moving towards a declaration in March.

The pro-constitution lobby has activated itself over recent weeks, with a meeting in Madrid next week. Much of that will be decided by the EU Presidency which will support strongly various amendments to the constitution. It is working wisely in streamlining some issues, while not changing them, placing them in separate annexes. That should create a position where those member states which have not previously ratified the constitution may do so. They may do so by parliamentary vote, which is a position we do not have. Realistically, such a process will not be in 2007 but in 2008, but the referendum on the EU constitution will be back on the table this year. The German Presidency will provide a blueprint on how to take it forward and, to build on that in the second half of the year, the National Forum on Europe should activate itself.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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As there are a couple of dozen questions on Northern Ireland and we will not have much time to deal with them, I will defer on this question.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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It is highly unlikely that we will come to questions on Northern Ireland today.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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My colleagues may have a similar view.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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There is one heading that briefly deals with Northern Ireland in so far as it applies to the Taoiseach's Department. To what does the heading, value for money on policy reviews, refer? It was not provided for last year but received €26,000 this year. How does that coincide with value for money? Funding for the information society, e-Cabinet and other initiatives has been reduced by 48%. Does that mean it is finished or that there is less focus on it?

One aspect discussed at the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation was the need to move beyond the main political parties and establish a civic forum. Hopefully, with the Assembly elections in the offing, we can reach that point in dealing with wider society. Does this fall under the remit of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation and is it provided for in the Estimates?

I note in the Oireachtas buildings that recycled paper is no longer provided for photocopying. Is that a directive from on high? Does the Taoiseach endorse this? Leadership from the Department of the Taoiseach would be critical if we were to have the market for recycled products which we claim we want in the House.

Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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The Department of Finance is responsible for that.

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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I will ask my Department about the recycled products matter. I thought we were using recycled products.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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So did I.

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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We certainly were using recycled products, but I will check it.

The e-Cabinet project is reaching a conclusion. Only minor areas of work need to be undertaken in 2007, associated with the full roll-out and upgrade of certain functions of the system. The system is up and running and the costs have been expended. Future costs will be small.

There is only a small provision to keep the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation subhead alive in the event that it may have further meetings, but no meetings are envisaged in the foreseeable future. The civic forum model is not included in that subhead. I support moving to the civic forum model and made clear throughout the discussions that we are ready to move on that. It would be an enlightened road for us to take, with wider community involvement. If we can achieve stability in the political situation, I hope we can get the civic forum moving. We will play our part in assisting that.

There are new proposals, which the Minister for Finance outlined, where all Departments must show their outputs to ensure they are getting value for money. This must be presented in a format outlined by the Minister in the last two budgets. The value for money subhead refers to work my Department has done on its presentation to the value for money committee.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I note Deputy Rabbitte's position and I will accordingly curtail my questions. The establishment of an all-Ireland civic forum merits provision at this point. We have waited on it since the Good Friday Agreement. It would be welcome if the Taoiseach could add to what he has already said on it.

I note a reduction of 2% in the provision for the All-Party Committee on the Constitution. What work does the Taoiseach propose to refer to the committee in 2007?

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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I repeat that I support the broader initiative of the civic forum. Its costs will not be large and it will come either from my Department's Vote or that of the Department of Foreign Affairs. It is more about getting the initiative up and running. We made an effort to do so when the Northern Ireland Executive was previously running and it had broad support from the trade unions congress, employers' and agricultural bodies and political groups. A civic forum would be very beneficial, allowing a North-South basis for groupings, which would normally not be in the political domain, to actively engage with each other on civic society matters. While much of that is happening informally and on an ad hoc basis, a civic forum where people representative of the broad sectors in society could be engaged would be beneficial. I have made that clear time and again in discussions with the NIO, the British Government and various interest groups in Northern Ireland.

The All-Party Committee on the Constitution has two or three initiatives in front of it which will take it to the end of the life of this Dáil. It has been involved in working on the social and family aspects of the Constitution. Its chairman, Deputy O'Donovan, is anxious to finish that work. A number of its reports have been sent to the Departments and agencies on matters which will be dealt with through legislation. Others will involve forming a group of constitutional amendments. There are seven areas where there is ongoing work and it may take a number of years to deal with them. It is hard to bunch them together and take a number of amendments. Officials in my Department, the committee secretariat and relevant Departments have been working on that for some time.