Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 90: To ask the Taoiseach the areas of policy on which he will answer questions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9682/11]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 91: To ask the Taoiseach the areas of social and economic policy on which he will answer questions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9683/11]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 92: To ask the Taoiseach the areas of European affairs on which he will answer questions and if these include discussions, agreements and pacts with our EU partners and EU institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9684/11]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 to 92, inclusive, together.

I am responsible to the Dáil for the general activities of my Department and parliamentary questions addressed to me must relate to public affairs connected with my Department, or to matters of administration for which I am officially responsible.

However, there are specific activities undertaken by officials of my Department for which I do not have official responsibility e.g. decisions made in relation to freedom of information applications or matters concerning release of files under the National Archives Act.

My responsibilities in relation to European Affairs include my participation in meetings of the European Council and other key European summits, as well as bilateral meetings and foreign visits.

Questions relating to international agreements and pacts, including those with EU partners and institutions, generally fall for answer by the relevant Minister.

I am also accountable to the Dáil in a limited way in respect of a number of State offices, for example, the legal offices of the State and the Central Statistics Office. By and large, I answer questions in the House in relation to matters of administration connected with those offices.

Similarly, the nature of my responsibility to the House in respect of any Tribunal or Commission established "under the aegis" of my Department is confined primarily to the arrangements relating to their establishment and ongoing administration.

The specific nature of my accountability in respect of my Department and those bodies operating within its policy area has long been established by precedent in each.