Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 3: To ask the Taoiseach if he plans any changes to the areas of responsibility of the Ministers of State within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12606/10]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 4: To ask the Taoiseach the responsibilities of the Ministers of State in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12963/10]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together.

On 23 March 2010 the Government appointed Deputy John Curran as Government Chief Whip and Minister of State at my Department and at the Department of Defence, and Deputy Dara Calleary as Minister of State at my Department, the Department of Finance and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation with special responsibility for public service transformation and labour affairs. Deputy Dick Roche was reappointed as Minister of State at my Department and at the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for European affairs on 22 April 2009.

As Chief Whip, Deputy Curran is primarily responsible for the organisation of Government business in the Dáil and for the Government's programme for Dáil reform. He also oversees the preparation of the Government's legislative programme. In addition, my statutory functions covering the Central Statistics Office have been delegated to the Deputy.

In my Department, Deputy Roche chairs an interdepartmental co-ordinating committee on European Union affairs. The committee keeps under review, and works to ensure coherence on, the full range of issues on the EU's agenda. The committee has a particular focus on the correct and timely transposition of EU legislation. In addition to these duties, Deputy Roche represents the Government at a wide range of EU and international meetings. Deputy Roche plays a central role in consolidating and further developing Ireland's bilateral relations with EU member states. He also plays a key role in communicating the importance of the European Union to Ireland and thus fostering enhanced public understanding of EU issues.

Deputy Calleary has special responsibility for public service transformation. This responsibility is in addition to his role as Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with responsibility for labour affairs. His new role will allow him to co-ordinate the transformation effort across the public service, with a view to creating a more integrated, customer focused, and essentially "fit for purpose" public service.

As always, questions on the functions of particular Ministers of State in other Departments should be tabled to the relevant Ministers.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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When Deputy Calleary was appointed Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, it was announced by the Taoiseach in the Dáil and he also said that the Government would appoint a public service board, which would include members from outside the public service with appropriate experience and skills. Has that board been appointed and who is on it? If it has not been appointed, when will this take place?

When the Taoiseach announced the new Ministers of State, he also announced a renaming of various Departments. Since then, the respective Ministers have continued to function under their old titles. Today's Question Paper will have listed the Ministers under their old titles, such as the Minister for Education and Science rather than Education and Skills. Has the idea of renaming Departments been dropped?

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Or are they incapable of change?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Does this come under the remit of the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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No. It is an administrative matter that is being attended to, and I do not attach importance to it.

The public service board has not been appointed and I was anxious to get through it, given the context of the current discussions with the public service on the draft pay agreement. It will be dealt with in due course.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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What about renaming the Departments?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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No change.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Has there been no change?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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No change on the change.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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We have had four Chief Whips since I entered this House, yet there has been no Dáil reform. Does Dáil reform mean no reform at all?

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy will have to table a question to a line Minister.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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This is the Taoiseach's responsibility.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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That is too detailed.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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According to the Taoiseach, responsibility for Dáil reform is with the Chief Whip. That is what the question was about.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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If we look at the Members who make up the Dáil reform sub-committee, we will get-----

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Are you blaming them now?

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I am asking about the responsibility of the Minister for State, which is what the question was about. Will we see Dáil reform this time?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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That is the Minister of State's responsibility and he is working on it.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Is the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, responsible for the implementation of the Employment Law Compliance Bill 2008? Employment rights is an area of some considerable concern at a time of high unemployment and growing evidence of employers' abuse of their employees.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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That is his responsibility, but under a different Department from mine.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Will the proposed name changes for the Departments require legislation? What will be the statutory basis for the name changes? There is also concern about the decision to abolish the position of Minister of State with responsibility for the drugs strategy. There is a lot of concern that this would signal a lowering of priority for the drugs issue. Given that the office of the Minister with responsibility for drugs was established within the last two years, what now will happen to it?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister, Deputy Pat Carey, is now dealing with that issue, as he did in the past.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Will the OMD continue in existence?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Yes, that will continue in existence. It will answer to the Minister, however, rather than to the Minister of State, so it could not be regarded as a downgrading.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Will legislation be needed to change the name?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Not that I am aware of.