Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 1: To ask the Taoiseach the Cabinet sub-committees which he has established. [5741/11]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Government economic management council has been established with the status of a Cabinet committee. I am a member of the council, along with the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Finance and Deputy Brendan Howlin. In addition to the Council, I expect that the Government will shortly establish a number of other Cabinet committees to deal with more specific aspects of policy.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Fuair mé an litir seo ón Cheann Comhairle. Dúirt sé sa litir nach féidir liom cuid an cheist seo a chur ar an Taoiseach. I received a letter from the Ceann Comhairle this morning in which he regrets that he had to disallow the underlying part of my question. In deference to his ruling I am not going to put the question.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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It is in accordance with Standing Orders.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Is there is some secrecy involved? The Taoiseach would be very open about what committees he proposes to establish. What is the big deal? Is he going to set up a committee-----

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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It is a matter of Cabinet confidentiality that I have to rule on the question. We can ask questions about sub-committees being established but not about the subject matter being discussed.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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When the Taoiseach was in Opposition he said Fianna Fáil was too secretive and tight and that it was interpreting Cabinet confidentiality too strictly. Is the Taoiseach going to establish a committee on housing? The question was ruled out of order and I cannot ask it. Is he going to establish a committee on the Irish language?

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy can submit a parliamentary question to the appropriate line Minister.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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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.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Taoiseach suggested that he would take suggestions as to the committees that should be established. Would he consider establishing a Cabinet sub-committee on drugs as there is no longer a Minister or Minister of State with sole responsibility for it? Some of the responsibility now lies with the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald. At the very least there should be a Cabinet sub-committee and it is to be hoped he will take that suggestion on board.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It is a serious matter. Drugs are now available all over the country, apparently. Young people tell me they do not have to go too far if somebody is looking for these things. Some elements of the drug strategy that has been in place for a number of years have worked and some have not. There is a need to revisit the issue, in terms of its effectiveness. Whether there is a specific Cabinet sub-committee, it is something that will be dealt with by a Cabinet sub-committee in any event.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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In terms of the programme for Government, in the Taoiseach's opening remarks in establishing a Government he emphasised the necessity for joined-up Government. Nowhere is that more critical than in the area of climate change. It is not just the responsibility of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, it requires multi-departmental engagement and involvement. From my experience of being in Government one of the more effective ways of ensuring an urgent and engaged joined-up approach to the very pressing issue of climate change is the establishment of a Cabinet sub-committee. It would be an important mechanism to achieve that objective.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Martin can take it that there will be a Cabinet sub-committee on climate change.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Will there be a Cabinet sub-committee dealing with the financial services centre? I understand the Taoiseach's predecessor had a committee of some kind working on the activities of the IFSC. Is that the case and if so, will that be continued?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It will be part of a Cabinet sub-committee. Finance, financial institutions and financial activities are central to where we are headed and they should be the subject of a Cabinet sub-committee, whether specifically or as part of a broader brief.