Written answers
Tuesday, 25 May 2004
Department of An Taoiseach
Departmental Bodies
7:00 pm
John Bruton (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 67: To ask the Taoiseach if he will list the number of meetings in the past year of each interdepartmental committee or body on which his Department is represented; the frequency and location of its meetings; and where it is intended those meetings will take place after decentralisation. [15128/04]
Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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My Department participates in approximately 100 interdepartmental committees or bodies, most of which currently hold their meetings in Dublin. This includes both standing and temporary committees as well as such sub-groups as may be attended from time to time. The total includes both groups for which my Department is responsible, and those which are the responsibility of other Departments with which my Department maintains a liaison. The frequency with which these committees or bodies meet can vary, depending on their remit and workload. While meetings would take place about once a month for many groups, for many others the frequency is periodic.
While cross-departmental collaboration will continue to be a significant feature of Civil Service work, it is not possible to be definitive at this point as to how this work will be affected by decentralisation. There are steps that can be taken to tackle what may be an unnecessarily extensive "meetings culture". Investment in appropriate ICT facilities is an obvious example. My own Department is currently developing the first fully integrated e-Cabinet administrative model of its kind in the world, demonstrating that technologies can help to support effective collaboration in a decentralised Civil Service.
Decentralisation presents a unique opportunity to re-examine business processes across a range of activities, including meetings, and to develop new approaches, utilising new technologies where appropriate. It should be seen as an enabler, therefore, to further drive the extensive modernisation programme already under way in the public service.
The Implementation Group of Secretaries General has been asked to look at how the decentralisation and modernisation programmes can be dovetailed to achieve greater efficiencies, improved service delivery and better value for money for the citizen.
| Title of Committee/Body | Number of meetings since May 2003 | Frequency |
| Personnel Officers Network | On average 4 times a year. | |
| Change Management Network | 11 | On average 4 times a year. |
| Training Officer's Network | On average 4 times a year. | |
| Civil Service Training & Development Committee | On average 4 times a year. | |
| Performance Management & Development System Network | On average 4 times a year. | |
| Inter-Departmental QCS Network | Approx. 8 times a year | |
| National Security Committee | 6 | As need arises |
| e-Cabinet Stakeholders Group | 3 | It is envisaged that the need for the Group to meet will diminish as the e-Cabinet project is introduced. |
| Inter-Departmental Co-ordinating Committee on European Union Affairs (ICCEUA) | 19 | Fortnightly |
| Senior Officials' Group on the Presidency | 24 since Sept. 03 | Initially fortnightly. On a weekly basis since Jan 04 |
| Inter-Departmental Lisbon Group | 9 | Monthly |
| IGC Group | 6 since Jan 04 | |
| Convention Overview Group Replaced in Sept 03 by the Inter-Governmental Conference Overview Group | 9 from May-July 03 13 from Sept-Dec 03 | Fortnightly |
| Inter-Departmental Group on the Status of the Irish Language. | 5 | 3-4 weeks |
| Internet Advisory Board | 5 | 5 times a year |
| ICT Steering Committee of the NCCA | 2 | Varies from year to year |
| Senior Officials Group on Social Inclusion | 12 | Monthly |
| Monitoring Committee for Social Economy Programme | Matter for D/Enterprise, Trade and Employment | For D/ETE |
| Strategic Task Force on Alcohol | Matter for D/Health & Children | For D/H& C |
| Inter-Departmental Group on Alcohol | Matter for D/Health & Children | For D/H& C |
| National Drugs Strategy Team | Matter for D/Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs | For CR& GA |
| Inter-Departmental Group on drugs | Matter for D/Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs | For CR& GA |
| National Children's Office Advisory Board | Matter for D/Health & Children/ NCO | For D H& C/ NCO |
| NCO, Research Development Advisory Group | Matter for D/Health & Children/ NCO | For D H& C/ NCO |
| NDP/ CSF Equal Opportunities & Social Inclusion Co-ordinating Committee | Matter for D/Justice, Equality & Law Reform | For D/JELR |
| Inter-Departmental Committee on 10th Anniversary of UN Year of the Family | Matter for Social & Family Affairs | For D/SFA |
| Task Force on Integration of Local Government and Local Development Systems | Matter for D/Environment, Heritage & Local Government | For D/EHLG |
| RAPID National Monitoring Committee | Matter for D/Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs | For CR& GA |
| RAPID Steering Group | Matter for D/Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs | For CR& GA |
| Implementation and Advisory Group on the White Paper, Supporting Voluntary Activity | Matter for D/Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs | For CR& GA |
| Management Group for Social Inclusion Office | Matter for D/Social & Family Affairs | For D/SFA |
| NAPS- Social Inclusion Consultative | Matter for D/Social & Family Affairs | For D/SFA |
| NAPS Technical Advisory Group | Matter for D/Social & Family Affairs | For D/SFA |
| Interdepartmental Group on Life-Long Learning | Matter for D/Enterprise, Trade & Employment | For D/ETE |
| Sustaining Progress Plenary | 4 | Quarterly |
| Sustaining Progress Steering Group | 10 | As required |
| Public Transport Partnership Forum | Matter for D/Transport | Matter for D/Transport |
| Housing Forum | Matter for D/EHLG | Matter for D/EHLG |
| Rent Supplement Consultation Group | Matter for D/SFA | Matter for D/SFA |
| National Statistics Board | 4 | As required |
| IDC on Emissions Trading | Matter for D/EHLG | Matter for D/EHLG |
| Tax Strategy Group | Matter for D/Finance | Matter for D/Finance |
| IDC on Science & Technology | Matter for D/ET& E | Matter for D/ET& E |
| CDT on Housing, Infrastructure & PPPs Wider Energy Sub-group | 10 | As required |
| IDC on National Spatial Strategy | Matter for D/EHLG | Matter for D/EHLG |
| IDC on Non-Labour Market Aspects of EU Enlargement | 4 | As required |
| IDC on OECD | Matter for D/FA | Matter for D/FA |
| Contact Group on Affordable Housing | 6 | As required |
| National Economic & Social Council (NESC) | 9 | Monthly |
| CDT on Housing, Infrastructure and PPPs | 10 | Monthly |
| Legal Issues Sub-Group | Matter for D/Finance | Matter for D/Finance |
| Consultative Group on Census of Population 2006 | 2 | Matter for CSO |
| IDG on Services in the Internal Market | Matter for D/ET& E | Matter for D/ET& E |
| IDG on Green Paper on Services of General Interest | Matter for D/ET& E | Matter for D/ET& E |
| IDG on Mass Transit System for Dublin | 2 | 1-2 weeks |
| Inter-Departmental Advisory Group on PPPs | Matter for D/Finance | Matter for D/Finance |
| Standing Committee on GGB | Matter for D/Finance | Matter for D/Finance |
| NDP Communications Strategy Group | 1 | As required |
| Financial Services Clearing House Group | 7 | Quarterly |
| Funds Group | 8 | Approx. every 6 weeks |
| Banking & Treasury | 9 | Approx. every 6 weeks |
| Insurance | 12 | Monthly |
| Pan European Task Force | 3 | As required |
| Asset Management Task Force | 7 | As required |
| MIF Consultative Committee | 5 | 2 monthly |
| MIF Project Management Group | 7 | Approx. every 6 weeks |
| MIF Training Group | 10 | Approx. every month |
| Mullarkey Implementation Group | 9 | Monthly |
| British Irish Interdepartmental Co-ordinators Group | As required | |
| North/South Interdepartmental Co-ordinators Group & the High-Level Interdepartmental Committee on North/South | Regular basis | |
| Implementation Group of Secretaries General | 9 | Every 4-6 weeks |
| HRM Subgroup of the Implementation Group | 5 | 4-5 times a year |
| Change Management Network PMDS Integration Group | 3 | |
| Competency Frameworks Subgroup | 3 | |
| PMDS Network | 4 times a year | |
| Public Service Monitoring Group | As required | |
| Subgroup of General Council on the Evaluation of PMDS | 5 | Regular basis |
| Subgroup of General Council on the Evaluation of Partnership | 3-4 times a year | |
| Steering Group on Implementation of the Strategic Review of the Civil Service and Local Appointments Commission (CSLAC) | 3-4 times a year | |
| Committee for Public Management Research (CPMR) | 3-4 times a year | |
| Quality Customer Service (QCS) Working Group | 4 | |
| QCS Officers Network | 6 | |
| QCS Research Subgroup | 9 times to date | |
| QCS Equality/Diversity Subgroup | Approx. 4 times a year | |
| High Level Group on Regulation | 16 | |
| Financial Management Sub-Group | 6 | |
| Steering Group on Business Planning and Resource Allocation | Quarterly | |
| Working Group — Resource Allocation and Business Planning Pilot Project | Monthly | |
| Anti-inflation Group | 5 | As required |
| National Framework Committee for Work- Life Balance Policies | Matter for D/ET& E | Approx. every month |
| Council for Partnership and Performance | 6 | Approx. every 2 months |
| Freedom of Information Inter-Departmental Working Group | 3 | Regular scheduled meetings throughout the year |
| Freedom of Information Civil Service Users Network | 11 | Approx. once a month |
| Emergency Response Co-ordination Committee | 0 | As required |
| Consultative Committee on Nuclear Emergency Planning | 1 | As required |
| Attorney General's Consultative Committee on Law Reform Commission | 0 | As required |
| The Government Task Force on Emergency Planning | 7 | Seven times in the last year |
| Inter-Departmental Working Group on Emergency Planning | 10 | Ten times in the last year |
| Inter-Departmental Group on National Security | As required | |
| * It is likely that the group's work will be completed by end-June 2004. |
In addition, the EU division of the Department of the Taoiseach chairs ad hoc meetings on a range of issues as they arise.
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