Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 234: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the assignments of responsibility which have been made under section 9 of the Public Service Management Act 1997 for the performance of her functions by officers of her Department, indicating in respect of each function or class of function whether the assignment has been to named officers or to a grade or grades of officer and whether any of the requirements listed in section 9 (1) ([i]a[/i]) to ([i]f[/i]) of the Act have been included in the assignment; if information relating to such assignments of responsibility is published by her Department; if she has satisfied herself with the workings of section 9 within her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8149/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The practice in my Department is for the Secretary General to delegate to individual members of the management committee responsibility for their respective area of activity including, where deemed appropriate, the requirements listed in section 9 (1) (a) to (f) of the Act. In like manner, members of the management committee assign to each head of division responsibility for their particular area. I consider these arrangements to be satisfactory for the implementation of the relevant sections of the Public Service Management Act.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 235: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the arrangements in place within her Department relating to the delegation by her of her functions under Acts other than the Public Service Management Act 1997, indicating whether such delegations are express or implied, whether they are in general terms or confined to particular functions or the performance of functions in particular classes of cases, whether the delegation is to named officers or to officers of a particular grade or grades and whether the performance of functions of any particular class is reserved to her personally; if information relating to such delegations is published by her Department; if she has satisfied herself with the working of this system of administration in conjunction with the provisions of the Public Service Management Act 1997; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8164/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Some of my functions as Minister for Agriculture and Food are delegated by order under Agriculture and Food (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2004 — SI No. 778 of 2004 and SI 779 of 2004 to Ministers of State and the legislation involved is expressly listed in a schedule to the orders.

In addition, there is a large body of legislation including Acts of the Oireachtas as well as regulations made thereunder and statutory instruments transposing EU directives specific to my Department. Many of these Acts and statutory instruments provide for me as Minister to delegate functions prescribed in the legislation to officers of my Department. The delegation of functions may be to particular posts or grades or to named individuals who would for instance have specific functions and powers in the fields of animal and plant heath, public health and animal welfare. Any functions that are not so delegated and are prescribed in legislation as a function of the Minister is then reserved to me personally in my capacity as the Minister for Agriculture and Food. I am satisfied that this system is working well.