Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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1. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the parliamentary liaison unit. [50471/17]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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2. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the functions of the parliamentary liaison unit in his Department. [51687/17]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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3. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the parliamentary liaison unit. [51728/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together.

As outlined in the strategy statement, my Department provides support services for the Taoiseach and the Government. As part of this service, the parliamentary liaison unit was established to perform a liaison function to help ensure that Ministers and Departments are properly informed of new responsibilities and procedures of the Thirty-second Dáil.

The unit provides support to Ministers and their Departments on Oireachtas matters with a particular emphasis on assisting Departments with Private Members' business. It provides Departments with detailed information on the rules and procedures with regard to Private Members' business.

In performing this function, the unit liaises on a regular basis with advisors to the Independent members of Government, including the chief strategist for the Independent Alliance and the political co-ordinator for the Independent Ministers in government to ensure they are informed of Oireachtas issues and to assist them in engaging with the new procedures arising from Dáil reform. The parliamentary liaison unit provides detailed information on upcoming matters in the Dáil and Seanad and highlights any new Oireachtas reform issues.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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We have tabled several parliamentary questions on the parliamentary liaison unit to find out exactly what it is supposed to do. According to the Government website, whodoeswhat.gov.ie, "The Parliamentary Liaison Unit facilitates the enhanced relationship between the Government and the Oireachtas with a view to ensuring the timely implementation of the Government's legislative programme." However, the website does not refer to certain Members of the Oireachtas. According to replies to parliamentary questions, as repeated by the Taoiseach today, its purpose is to support Ministers and their Departments on Oireachtas matters with a particular emphasis on assisting Departments with Private Members’ business.

The Taoiseach is telling us that the purpose of the unit is to support Independent members of Government in understanding Oireachtas procedures. I am somewhat confused about who exactly it is aimed at. Let us suppose we are to believe what has been published and that the purpose of the unit is to liaise between the Government and the Oireachtas. I have not had any contact with the parliamentary liaison unit. Will the Taoiseach identify the individual Deputies who have been liaised with, and to what end? Is there any interaction between Members who are not supporters of the Government and the parliamentary liaison unit?

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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In September last year, the then Taoiseach, Teachta Kenny, spoke in the Dáil about the need to improve communications between Ministers and their Departments. He outlined how, to facilitate this approach, a parliamentary liaison unit was established. He specifically said that it was to facilitate an enhanced relationship between the Government and the Oireachtas.

More recently this role of improving communications between the Ministers and the Opposition spokespersons has disappeared completely, as it did today, from any definition of the unit. Can the Taoiseach explain if the parliamentary liaison unit has any role in engaging with the Opposition parties or Members on the preparation of legislation as set out by his predecessor?

Could he also outline to the Dáil his current thinking on Seanad reform? The Manning report was published in April 2015. The former Taoiseach wrote to party leaders last year seeking nominations. We nominated Seanadóir Rose Conway-Walsh. There has been no contact with her since then.

The programme for Government, which is now 18 months old, contains a commitment to pursue the implementation of the Manning report as a priority. I wrote to the Taoiseach on this issue in August and in a reply to me in October he said he would be contacting party leaders with a view to having the group up and running as soon as possible. He also said the implementation group would be up in the next few weeks. Two months later, no one has been in touch with me and neither have I seen any evidence of the implementation group being established or the chairperson being identified. Will the Taoiseach undertake to liaise with Opposition parties to expedite this matter early in the new year? He also said in his response earlier that the parliamentary liaison unit was communicating with the chief strategist of the Independent Alliance. Does the Taoiseach know the name of this strategist and if so could he give it to the Dáil?

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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In an answer to me last week the Taoiseach said there were 24 staff assigned to the Government secretariat, protocol division and the parliamentary liaison unit. How many of these 24 are assigned to the parliamentary liaison unit? What is their rank? Are they deputy secretaries, assistant secretaries or principal officers? Rather like the strategic communications unit, this appears to be something which could have a lot of mission creep. When it was first introduced the indication, as now, was that it was to deal with minority members of the Government. It is worth reminding the Taoiseach that Parliament is made up of a variety of different parties and Independents, not all of whom are either in or supporting the Government with confidence and supply. If there is an information structure for liaison, explanation and information about initiatives being undertaken by the Government it is right that, as with the strategic communications unit, that kind of information is available on an equal basis to all the parties and all the Members of the Oireachtas. Otherwise, it smacks of more resources being devoted to Government for information purposes in the context of Government information services with many staff, as the Taoiseach said in his reply of last week.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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May I speak?

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy is not included but he may come in.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Taoiseach's notes will probably tell him that last year his predecessor informed the Seanad that the parliamentary liaison unit had been established as a "catalyst" for improved communication between Ministers and Opposition spokespersons and their teams. That was the original idea of the parliamentary liaison unit and the Taoiseach's predecessor, in the context of the confidence and supply agreement and the facilitation of Oireachtas reform, made it clear that he wanted improved relationships between the Executive and the rest of the House on various issues and communications between Ministers and Deputies. We have learned over the past year or so that the unit has been diverted into working with Independent Members and helping Ministers prepare for Private Members' Business. That was never the original intention. It seems that more and more, the architecture of Government is being turned into a prop for the political parties which make up the Government. We have to be extremely careful about the trends that are emerging.

The Taoiseach said he was reviewing his Department. Could he indicate whether the review has informed him what he will do in respect of this unit? Will he make a statement available on the number of queries handled for each Independent Deputy? What Independent Deputies are on the inside track, those who vote with the Government, such as Deputy Lowry who regularly does that, or Deputy Mattie McGrath-----

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Deputy Harty.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Harty. Are they the Independent Members who are being helped or assisted by the liaison unit? We know that in recent weeks other Deputies did not get the information they looked for in parliamentary questions. If this parliamentary liaison unit was working effectively, as originally intended, to help communications between the House and the Executive we might not have had all the difficulties and challenges we have faced in recent weeks. For full transparency it would be useful if the Taoiseach could outline what Deputies are being assisted by this liaison unit.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The make-up of this Dáil and the new procedures that have come into place as a result of Dáil reform have resulted in the Government doing its business in a very different way from previous Governments. It has also meant an increased workload for Departments, particularly in respect of the volume of Private Members' business. The parliamentary liaison unit, which is based in my Department, was set up to perform a liaison function to help ensure that Ministers and Departments are properly informed of their new responsibilities and procedures in the Thirty-second Dáil. The parliamentary liaison unit was established 18 months ago, in May 2016. It is staffed by three people, a principal officer, a higher executive officer and a clerical officer, all of whom are civil servants. The chief strategist for the Independent Alliance is Mr. Tony Williams.

I am not reviewing my Department. Structures and staffing are entirely a matter for the Secretary General. I intend to leave that to him as the best person-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thought the Taoiseach had announced that he was doing a review.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I also announced that I had taken wise counsel on that and decided to leave all these matters involving staffing and structure to my Secretary General. That is my decision.

As I have said previously, the unit performs a liaison function to help ensure that Members and Departments are properly informed of the new responsibilities and procedures of the Thirty-second Dáil. If one takes, for example, Private Members' business, the make-up of the current Dáil and the new procedures that have come into place as a result of Dáil reform have resulted in Government doing its business in a different way from previous Governments. It has also meant a dramatically increased workload for Departments, particularly in respect of the volume of Private Members' business. Currently, for example, there are 105 Private Members' Bills awaiting Second Stage in the Dáil and 40 awaiting Committee Stage. Departments can sometimes have several Bills, both Government and Private Members', relative to their area on the Order Paper in either House in any given week. The unit is continuously in contact with the Departments about the progress of these Bills and to assist officials with procedures and any issues that may arise.

The unit was established to perform a liaison function to help ensure that Ministers and Departments are properly informed of new responsibilities and procedures in the Thirty-second Dáil. The main focus of the unit is to liaise with Departments and advisers on Oireachtas matters with a particular emphasis on assisting Departments with Private Members' business. In performing this function the unit has been happy to engage with any member of the Opposition, where appropriate. It is not the function of the unit to ensure the support of Deputies in the House. That is a political function. The parliamentary liaison unit's role is to provide information on Dáil and Seanad issues and on Dáil reform and primarily, the unit assists Departments and advisers on Oireachtas matters.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Should the Departments not be doing that?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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One would imagine so.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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There are 14 questions in the next batch so it might be appropriate to move on.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Would it be possible to devote 30 minutes to those questions?

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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To this batch?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Yes because they cover Brexit and Northern Ireland and many other things in between.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Yes, if Members are amenable we will give the time.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Does that mean that the questions about the EU will be taken tomorrow?

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Yes. Are we amenable to that?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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That is fine.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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There is a lot on the EU here.