Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 117: To ask the Taoiseach if his Department has a management advisory committee or an equivalent management committee; if it meets regularly; if so, the frequency of same; if he and the Ministers of State attached to his Department attend the meetings; if a special adviser or advisers attached to the ministerial office or offices attend such meetings; if the minutes are circulated subsequent to each meeting with an indication as to the action to be taken by whom and when; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33214/07]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 119: To ask the Taoiseach if he convenes specific policy meetings with officials in his Department; the way a policy meeting with officials is different from that of a management meeting such as a management advisory committee meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33216/07]

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 119 together.

The Management Advisory Committee in my Department meets regularly to deal with all relevant aspects of the implementation of the business plan of the Department in furtherance of the Statement of Strategy, to deal with the management of the Department's resources and compliance with the various obligations relevant to the work of the Department and to assist the Secretary General of the Department in carrying out his responsibilities under the Public Service Management Act, 1997. Minutes of the meetings are circulated to the Department and specify the action points arising.

I do not routinely attend meetings of the MAC but I am briefed regularly on issues arising by the Secretary General. Having regard to the nature of the work of the Department, and its relatively small size, I am in frequent discussion with the Secretary General and Assistant Secretaries about all aspects of the work of the Department. In particular, I meet regularly with them to discuss the work programme of the various Cabinet Committees which are one of the principal means by which my Department contributes to the development of policy under the Programme for Government.

Meetings are regularly held to discuss the development and implementation of policy in respect of social partnership, public service modernisation, developments in respect of Northern Ireland and issues relating to security. The Government Chief Whip and the Minister for European Affairs attend these policy meetings as appropriate.