Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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180. To ask the Minister for Finance the delegated responsibilities he has given to Ministers of State in his Department; when the order of delegated responsibility was signed; if he included his 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 he will make a statement on the matter. [31915/16]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I am interpreting this question as referring to a Delegation of Ministerial Functions Order which is provided for under section 2 (1) of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1977. This provides for the delegation to a Minister of State assigned to the Department of State of which the Minister of the Government has charge statutory powers and duties of such Minister of the Government under any particular Act or any particular statutory power or duty of such Minister of the Government.

In my Department, I as Minister for Finance have retained all statutory powers and duties pertaining to my ministerial role. The Minister of State, Eoghan Murphy, has been assigned certain functions and responsibilities which he is very ably carrying out on my behalf, however I have not delegated any statutory powers pursuant to the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1977. These include the important work to promote Ireland's financial services industry as part of the Government's IFS2020 International Financial Services Strategy and chairing the Cost of Insurance Working Group which is undertaking a review of the factors which are influencing the increasing cost of motor insurance. The appointment of Minister of State Murphy with specific responsibly for financial services emphasises the vitally important role International Financial Services play in the Irish economy, and that the implementation of IFS2020 will continue to be a priority.

In relation to pre-budgetary discussions with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform; I did not have any meetings with the Minister of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to the 2017 Estimates, however, I had regular meetings with Minister Donohoe with regard to overall budgetary policy in the weeks preceding Budget 2017.