Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 12: To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on which Cabinet sub committees have met since they were established; and the number of meetings in each case. [15350/11]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 13: To ask the Taoiseach the number of meetings that have been held of each of the Cabinet sub committees since their establishment. [16280/11]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 13 together.

The following Cabinet sub-committees have met since they were established: the Cabinet sub-committee on Irish and the Gaeltacht has met on two occasions, on 14 April and 9 May; the Cabinet sub-committee on social policy met once on 9 June; the Cabinet sub-committee on economic recovery and jobs had its first meeting on 26 May; the first meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee on economic infrastructure took place on 2 June. The Government economic management council has met 20 times to date, most recently on 17 June.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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What are the roles and functions of the sub-committees as they have operated since they were set up by Taoiseach? With regard to economic recovery and job creation, will the Taoiseach inform the House if he has a new strategy to try to address the critical problem of mass unemployment which clearly will hardly be touched by the jobs initiative which was scaled down from a major jobs budget?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The function of Cabinet sub-committees is to focus on issues and matters of importance to particular sectors. The sectors covered by the Cabinet sub-committees are relevant to everyday life in order that the committees will have an opportunity to focus and concentrate on particular areas of importance and make decisions on them to be referred back to the Cabinet for final approval. Of course, the position on unemployment is completely unacceptable and the problem will not be dealt with by a specific jobs initiative on its own. It has to be dealt with by cutting Government costs, becoming more competitive, allowing for the opportunity for businesses to flourish, removing obstacles to business and employment potential, continuing to send out a message internationally that Ireland's reputation should be revised upwards and that there is an opportunity for a continued foreign direct investment and demonstrating that we have a young and flexible workforce capable of meeting whatever challenge of change is coming down the line.

This is how major unemployment will be dealt with. Central to that until now has been a lack of confidence in our indigenous economy and a lack of credit available for small businesses to expand and change action. That is why the Government decision on dealing with six dysfunctional banks and deleveraging the two pillar banks, Bank of Ireland and AIB, will result in approximately €10 billion in credit being available each year for the next three years.

Through the economic management council I will require that banks demonstrate what new lending and credit they have available for business in order that people can be gainfully employed and employers can get on their business of doing what they do best, which is exporting, manufacturing and employing people.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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On the Cabinet sub-committee on health, the Taoiseach first alluded to it when I raised the issue of the crisis which will arise around 11 July through the shortage of junior doctors. I did not think he or the Minister for Health dealt with the question well.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy is straying from the question.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister for Health said the crisis will be fixed. He acknowledged that it is a deep crisis.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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That is not the question.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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He says it will be fixed in so far as it can be. Is it the business of the sub-committee on health to deal with that issue? How often has it met?

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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We cannot discuss matters at the committees. The Deputy asked a factual question. We cannot stray into policy otherwise we would be here all day.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Following the discussions that we had at the Cabinet committee on social policy, as health is of such importance to the general well-being of our nation I considered it sufficiently important to form a specific Cabinet committee dealing with health. It has not yet been formalised but will be by next week and Ministers involved in health will obviously serve on it. It will focus on the myriad issues in the area of health that need attention, as distinct from the Cabinet dealing on an extensive basis with matters related to health.

The Minister for Health has pointed out what has been going on in regard to non-consultant hospital doctors and the difficulties we have had as a country because of the registration facility that exists here. When we moved away from temporary registration we lost the opportunity to bring in many junior doctors or non-consultant hospital doctors to the extent that we should have. The Government considered the issue today and changes will be introduced.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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The Ceann Comhairle said my question referred to a policy matter. I want to know the remit of the new committee on health. Is that in order?

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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No, it is not. The Deputy's question referred to the number of meetings that have been held of each of the Cabinet sub-committees since their establishment. Whether another committee has been formed is a separate question.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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There are now nine Cabinet sub-committees, four of which deal with economic issues, from the economic management council to economic infrastructure and so on. It is extraordinary that the Taoiseach has not set a target for job creation and a reduction in the number of unemployed if, as he has said he is putting such emphasis on economic issues in Cabinet sub-committees.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy is also straying from the question he asked. He asked a factual question but is straying into policy matters. I regret I cannot allow that question. I call Deputy Boyd Barrett.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I am trying to get clarification about the national economic advisory council.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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That is a separate question altogether.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I am trying to establish if it is a Cabinet sub-committee.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy did not ask the question.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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My question is about sub-committees. Is it a sub-committee?

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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That is another question. I call Deputy Martin.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I just want to know if it is a sub-committee.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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It is not because the Taoiseach has not read it out.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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It is a question about sub-committees.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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No. If the Deputy listened to the answer the Taoiseach gave, he did not give that information. Therefore the Deputy's question is not in order. I call Deputy Martin to proceed.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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How many times has the Cabinet sub-committee on climate change met?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It has not met yet.