Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 1: To ask the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on the recent work of the working groups chaired by his Department [45951/10]

Deputies:

In answering this question, I am interpreting the term "working groups" as groups which are working towards completion of particular projects or tasks rather than those which meet on a continual or ongoing basis to provide strategic direction. This is the same interpretation I took when I answered an identical question tabled by the Deputy on 31 March 2010. Using this interpretation, there are no working groups chaired by my Department. However, my Department does, of course, chair, and is represented on, a wide variety of other types of groups, including those that support the work of Cabinet committees and the implementation of the programme for Government or other Government policy initiatives.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Will the Taoiseach indicate if the working group chaired by his Department has issued a report and, if so, will he indicate the findings of that report?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I made the point that no working groups chaired by my Department are looking after particular tasks or projects. If there is a specific area about which the Deputy wishes to inquire on a policy front, there may be some supplementary information available to hand. This is the manner in which I dealt with it last March when we had some discussion on a specific matter.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I understood that what the Taoiseach told me in March was that there was a working group that was developing proposals for reducing barriers to information sharing between different parts of the public service. Moreover, I understood that proposals that were being developed by this group would be submitted for consideration by a Cabinet sub-committee on transforming public services. Did this group ever conclude its work or what can the Taoiseach tell Members about it?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I apologise to the Deputy. I understand from memory that work has been done in that area, which is due to be finalised by the senior officials group and which will come before the Cabinet shortly but I will get the detail.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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That is fine.