Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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274. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government 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. [31914/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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There are two Ministers of State assigned to my Department. Minister of State Damien English T.D. has responsibility for Housing and Urban Renewal while Minister of State Catherine Byrne T.D. has responsibility for elements of the Communities brief.

The issue of a formal delegation of functions is under consideration. In the meantime both Ministers of State engage fully with myself and senior management of the Department in relation to relevant business matters. While the Ministerial level engagement on my Department's Estimates generally involves myself and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Ministers of State would be involved in internal preparatory discussions on relevant issues.