Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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500. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the Secretary General of her Department, for the purpose of transparency and accountability, will publish their diary on their website on a monthly basis. [19959/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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My Department is committed to transparency and accountability and promotes these objectives in respect of its own activities and that of its funded services. Under Section 5 of the Public Service Management Act 1997 my Department has published a Strategy Statement setting out the key objectives and outputs of the Department over a three year period. These objectives and outputs are publicly reported upon by the Department in its Annual Report.

Officials of my Department accompany me to quarterly meetings of the Oireachtas Health and Children Committee to update the Committee on progress in achieving priorities. In order to further promote transparency the minutes of the Department's Management Advisory Committee are published on the Department's website. Details of purchase orders in excess of €20,000 are also published on the website. I am happy to review on an ongoing basis such other measures as may be warranted to promote transparency and accountability having regard to the efficient and effective administration of the Department, although there are no current plans to publish the Secretary General's diary on a monthly basis as a matter of routine.