Minister confident extended department can confound fears

INTERVIEW:McCarthy report said it should be abolished but Pat Carey's department has now doubled in size

THE FIRST thing Pat Carey notes about his department has echoes of Mark Twain’s observations about his own reported demise.

“Colm McCarthy recommended that it be abolished three months ago. It has doubled in size.”

Carey is one of two senior ministers appointed by Taoiseach Brian Cowen in March following the resignations of Martin Cullen and Willie O’Dea.

The portfolio was already a mouthful: Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. But to that, in an extended department, he has been given the equality functions of the Department of Justice; family affairs functions from the Department of Social Protection; and citizenship projects from the Department of an Taoiseach.

“We now have the potential to have a very strong policy-driven department,” he said in an interview with The Irish Times.

Carey’s elevation was not a surprise. A popular TD, he is regarded as a straight operator with sharp political nous. During almost two years as government chief whip, Mr Cowen came to rely on his experience and judgement.

His department is facing a few immediate challenges.

“The Gaeltacht 20-year strategy Bill. I am hoping and expecting to bring the report and implementation of the strategy to Government before August,” said Mr Carey.

The wider challenges? “It is a busy department and very diverse. I need to reconfigure it as a broad department with a new coherence,” he said.

Carey has been impressed with the department’s strong insight into the community whether it be rural isolation; social deprivation, islands or Gaeltacht communities.

There are north-south issues and inland waterways. He is also charged with drafting the national drugs strategy until 2016, which he wants to advance in conjunction with the alcohol strategy.

“Clearly, while the Celtic tiger has lifted all boats; there are still significant areas of marginalisation.

“There are issues like indebtedness that affect all of society. Our scoping is throwing up certain issues that have implications for work that we are doing at a time of scarce resources.”

“Scarce” can be further defined as the Government having to find €3 billion in savings this year.

How will his department be affected by the cutbacks? Not as much as Colm McCarthy wanted. “The revised Programme for Government reasserted its commitment to people in disadvantaged and marginalised communities.

“The number of agencies working in the community sector have been consolidated very significantly.

“The department has a very valuable role to play in strengthening our communities in times of scarcity.

“As President McAleese said last weekend: if the volunteers in this country stopped working a huge amount of services would not happen.”