Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 703: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will ensure that the Office for Social Inclusion will report to the Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs on a biannual basis and lay an annual report before the Dáil Éireann; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29957/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The preparation by the Office for Social Inclusion of an annual report is a key element in the social inclusion monitoring and evaluation processes set out in Towards 2016 – the social partnership agreement 2006-2015 and the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion (NAPinclusion) 2007 to 2016. The first annual Social Inclusion Report 2006-2007 prepared by the Office for Social Inclusion was published in November 2007. The report showed that progress was continuing and that the social inclusion targets were on track at that time. The report, in line with routine practice in the Department, was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.

The 2nd annual Social Inclusion Report covering the period from July 2007 to December 2008 is nearing completion and will be published early in September. The report will contain details of progress to date across all the various policy areas, an assessment the likely pace of progress in the years ahead, taking into account the current difficult economic conditions, and will identify new issues arising which might benefit from a more coordinated approach. The report will be presented to the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion and the Social Partnership Steering Group which has an oversight role in relation to implementing the lifecycle framework which forms the bases for the NAPinclusion and the social inclusion commitments in Towards 2016. The report will also be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.

The Director and senior officials of the Office for Social Inclusion attended the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social and Family Affair on 4th March 2009 to discuss the future role of the Office for Social Inclusion following the Government announcement in Budget 2009 that the Combat Poverty Agency was to be integrated with the Office for Social Inclusion within the Department of Social and Family Affairs. The Director and senior officials were invited to update the Committee on progress made in establishing the new integrated division and its proposed work plans and attended a meeting of the Committee on 8 th July 09.