Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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146. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the delegated responsibilities she has given to Ministers of State in her Department; when the order of delegated responsibility was signed; if she included her Ministers of State in direct discussions or meetings with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform as part of pre-budget discussions; if so, the dates of such meetings and the attendance at each meeting; if the Minister of State was not included the reason this was the position, in view of the designated responsibilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31919/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Ministers of State are appointed by the Government, on nomination of the Taoiseach. In accordance with the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) (No.2) Act 1977, the Government may delegate, by way of an Order, to a Minister of State any of the powers and duties of the relevant Minister of the Government under any particular Act or any particular statutory power or duty. The role and function of the Minister of State may also be on an administrative basis.

Mr. David Stanton TD was appointed Minister of State for Justice at the Department of Justice and Equality with special responsibility for Equality, Immigration, and Integration. I obtained Government approval to delegate powers and duties to Minister of State, David Stanton TD, under .

Mr. Dara Murphy T.D. is the Minister of State for Data Protection at the Department of Justice and Equality and the Department of the Taoiseach. He is also Minister of State for European Affairs and the EU Digital Single Market at the Departments of the Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs and Trade. His Data Protection functions are set out in Statutory Instrument 388 of 2016.

My Department's priorities for Budget 2017 reflect the commitments in the Programme for a Partnership Government and included substantial additional funding for both the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner and Traveller Initiatives which are areas formally delegated to the Ministers of State at my Department. I maintain close ongoing contact with my ministerial colleagues and they are invited to my regular meetings with the Department's senior management team.