Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is to consider changing the title of Minister of State for Immigration Conor Lenihan to include integration.
Mr Ahern said Mr Lenihan was already effectively dealing with the areas of immigration and integration, "but I will consider the issue regarding his title".
Mr Ahern was responding in the Dáil to Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, who noted that Mr Lenihan had referred a number of times to integration issues "as well as to a committee on integration". Mr Kenny said that he regarded "the question of immigration and integration as being a serious challenge for all as well as constituting a great opportunity if we get it right", and he asked the Taoiseach to "consider amending the responsibilities given to the Minister of State to include integration as well as immigration".
A Minister "with responsibility for immigration is somewhat confined or restricted in his responsibilities when they do not encompass a broader dimension and deal with issues that are highly relevant to integration," Mr Kenny said.
"On the area of immigration and integration, effectively this is what Minister Lenihan is doing," said Mr Ahern.
"He is playing a role with the churches and other organisations. I will consider the issue regarding his title.
"Some of the functions regarding integration reside in the Department of Justice.
"However, in his work with the organisations and the new communities, effectively, he is trying to integrate them on a cross-departmental basis," Mr Ahern added.
