My Department is actively implementing a programme of change in accordance with the recommendations of the steering group on systems review whose report was presented to the Government in December 1999.
Earlier this year I updated the Government on the progress made in giving effect to the recommendations, and a further update will be provided to them within the coming weeks.
Considerable progress has been made across a range of areas addressed by the steering group under the following headings: the development of the new accounts system, NASA; risk management and cost-effectiveness in the controls-inspection regime governing the operation of schemes and meat plants; implementation of a new IT strategy; technical and financial costs of managing the FEOGA guarantee system; departmental organisation and use of resources.