andMr. Keating asked the Minister for Finance if he will state in accordance with the recommendation of the Public Services Organisation Review Group, whether his Department has yet been divided into an aireacht and executive units with responsibility for policy formulation and implementation, respectively; if not, the reason; and if he intends to make such arrangements.
Written Answers. - Review Group's Recommendations.
437.
The Department of Finance is a central Department with overall responsibility for advising the Government in economic and financial matters. Its functions consist largely of policy formulation, coordination and control and are not appropriate for transfer to executive units. No such units have been established within the Department. Of course other offices for which I am responsible such as the Revenue Commissioners, the Office of Public Works and the Stationery Office are already organised along the lines of executive units.
438.
andMr. Keating asked the Minister for Finance if he will state in respect of commercial State bodies under his aegis, whether he has accepted recommendation number 11 of the Public Services Organisation Review Group (a) that the activities of the bodies should be broken down by sub-goals; (b) that where an activity is economic there should be a minimum of interference; and (c) that where a loss is involved, the position should be kept under review.
While recommendation number 11 of the Public Services Organisation Review Group, which completed its report in 1969, has not been the subject of an explicit decision by any Government, the performance of the commercial State bodies under my aegis is kept under review, with the objective of ensuring that their activities are conducted as economically as possible, and special reviews are carried out in the case of loss-making activities.