andMr. Keating asked the Minister for the Public Service if since it was recommended by the Public Services Organisation Review Group in 1969, any progress has been made on the preparation of legislation to regulate and express principles and broad directives in regard to procedures at administrative tribunals and to formulate access to judicial review; and, if not, the reason.
Written Answers. - Review Group's Recommendations.
496.
The proposals of the working party in the Appendix I to the report of the Public Services Organisation Review Group on administrative tribunals and judicial review were for an administrative system of appeals with a Commissioner for Administrative Justice at its apex. The all-Party Informal Committee of the Oireachtas on Administrative Justice felt that there was a danger that an extremely complicated and expensive system of appellate tribunals would result and, indeed, feared that the constitutionality of the proposed arrangement might be questioned. The all-Party Committee, therefore, recommended instead the institution of an Ombudsman responsible to the Oireachtas. Legislation giving effect to that recommendation has been enacted.
497.
andMr. Keating asked the Minister for the Public Service if a legislation unit has been established in his Department to deal with legislation required for change in the public service in accordance with recommendation No. 100 (iii) of the Public Services Organisation Review Group; if not, the reason, and if any legislation has been introduced on the subject since the Group suggested this for immediate implementation in its 1969 Report.
A legislation unit has not been established in my Department because the programme of public service reform is presently being carried through on a non-statutory basis.
498.
andMr. Keating asked the Minister for the Public Service if an examination of the question of the regional structure of various units of the public service in accordance with recommendation No. 19 of the Public Services Organisation Review Group has taken place, and, if so, when and the results.
An interim report on organisational structures for regional planning and development was prepared by an interdepartmental committee in 1978. Consideration of the recommendations in the interim report and further work by the committee have been deferred, pending a review of regional policy.
499.
andMr. Keating asked the Minister for the Public Service if he will state, in accordance with the recommendations of the Public Services Organisation Review Group, whether his Department have 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.
The Department of the Public Service acts in a central staff capacity, advising the Government on the management of the public service as far as organisation, personnel and remuneration are concerned. These functions are appropriate to an aireacht as envisaged in the report of the Public Services Organisation Review Group. The Department does not itself provide services of the kind which were envisaged in that report as appropriate to executive units and no such units have, therefore, been established within the Department.
500.
andMr. Keating asked the Minister for the Public Service 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.
There is no commercial State body under my aegis.