Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 31: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will make a statement on the recently established advisory group on tax and social welfare, including the expected timeframe for and topic upon which its initial recommendations are expected to focus; and if she will make the recommendations available to the public as she receives them. [21321/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Creating jobs and tackling poverty are two of the key challenges that we face. It is essential that our tax and social protection systems play their part in addressing these issues and ensure that work is worthwhile. To this end, I recently set up an Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare. The first meeting of the Group took place on 30 June and I understand that the Group is considering its work programme.

The main rationale for setting up the Group is to harness expert opinion and experience to address a number of specific issues around the operation and interaction of the tax and social protection systems. The Group will also be tasked with recommending cost-effective solutions as to how employment disincentives can be improved and better outcomes achieved, particularly child outcomes, and with identifying the specific practical institutional and administrative improvements to their operation. The Group will initially prioritise the area of family and child income supports.

It is envisaged that the Group's work programme will be based, where possible, on producing modular reports on the priority areas identified in the terms of reference in line with a timetable agreed by myself, in consultation with the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform. Where possible, the aim is to provide recommendations that can be acted upon in time for the annual budget/estimates and legislative cycle and to allow the Government to best address its commitments under the EU/IMF Programme of Financial Support.

The Advisory Group is currently developing its mode of working and I expect that decisions in respect of publishing recommendations will be made at the appropriate time. It should be noted that the Group's recommendations will be considered in the first instance by a steering committee consisting of myself and the Ministers for Children and Youth Affairs, Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform and others, as considered necessary.