Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 273: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if the Office of the Minister for Integration Policy will have authority within Departments other than the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in developing and coordinating a strategic, long term national integration strategy; the mechanism that will be put in place for liaising with all Departments to ensure a comprehensive, informed and well coordinated integration strategy is developed and implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18005/07]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 274: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the funding that has been allocated to the Office of the Minister for Integration Policy; the steps that will be taken to provide sufficient human and financial resources to ensure proper implementation and coordination of a national integration strategy; the number of staff members who have been allocated for this office and their duties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18006/07]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 275: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the steps that will be taken to ensure that minority groups are involved throughout the process leading to the establishment and implementation of a national integration strategy; if efforts will be made to recruit members of minority groups to its staff and to the staff of the Office for Integration Policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18007/07]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 276: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if the Office of the Minister for Integration Policy will have responsibility for immigration matters, as recommended by the Immigrant Council of Ireland in their call for a cross-Departmental structure to coordinate the work of all statutory bodies that have a brief in the area of immigration and integration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18008/07]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 277: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if funding has been allocated or is proposed for a coherent data collection system or coordination of currently collected data and research on migration, under the remit of the Office of the Minister for Integration Policy or elsewhere, in order that national strategies and planning can be well informed and coherent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18009/07]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 273 to 277, inclusive, together.

It can be expected that the Office of the Minister for Integration will be structured along similar lines to the Office of the Minister for Children and it will be among my first tasks to secure appropriate resources both in terms of staff and funding for the new Office. As a first step, staff from the integration unit of the Reception and Integration Agency will be moved to my Office.

As Minister for Integration, I will have a clear cross Departmental mandate to develop, drive and co-ordinate integration policy across other Government departments, agencies and services. In this context, I will have a close relationship with Ministers and policy makers in other Departments.

My intention is to ensure that the development of a long-term national policy on integration will be informed by widespread consultation at a national level, properly structured objective research and international experience and best practice.

Immigration matters are the direct responsibility for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. There are no plans at present to change this position, although of course the appropriate synergy will be maintained between immigration and integration policy issues.