Vol. 370 No. 13
asked the Minister for the Environment if he has adopted any of the recommendations of the published reports of the Dáil Committee on Public Expenditure in relation to his Department and, if so, if he will specify the extent of the adoption of each report.
84.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he will list the names of all reports of the Dáil Committee on Public Expenditure relating to his Department; and if he will outline specifically and comprehensively the action taken to date with regard to each individual recommendation of such reports.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 84 together.
I would refer the Deputies to the reply of the Minister for Finance to Question No. 34 of 11 December 1986, which set out, inter alia, the Government's position on those recommendations of the Dáil Committee on Public Expenditure which also relate to my Department. Following is the position in relation to the other recommendations that fall within my area of responsibility.
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Report |
Recommendations |
Position |
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Control of Capital Projects |
(i) Render public capital projects accountable to planning legislation. |
EEC Directive 85/337 applies to a range of public sector projects and requires that an assessment, involving public participation, be carried out of the likely environmental impact before approval is given to a project. Consideration is being given as to the best means to give effect to the Directive which must be implemented before 3rd July, 1988. The Local Government (Planning and Development) Acts, 1963 to 1983 apply to state projects generally to the extent set out in section 84 of the 1963 Act. |
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(ii) Requirement on local authorities to dispose of sites in excess of 5 year's requirements and licensing of builders to provide affordable houses for local authority approved applicants on housing lists. |
Because of changes in the level of demand for local authority housing and the impact of the £5,000 surrender grant the situation regarding the local authority housing programme and its land requirements is being reviewed. The Department is already encouraging the disposal of land by local authorities for joint venture housing on favourable terms. |
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(iii) Commission a study on the relative costs and benefits of direct and contract work on capital projects. |
This issue is currently under review. |
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Review of Procedures relating to road openings by Utilities |
(i) Authorise public utilities entitled to undertake road excavations to complete their own making good and change the present charge system to a charge per traffic lane per hour of peak traffic disruption. |
These recommendations are currently under examination in the Department. |
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(ii) Provide seed finance for a joint utilities computerised mapping system for Dublin on the lines successfully piloted in Cork |
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Immediately implementable public sector savings and management improvement |
(i) The annual reports and accounts of all local authorities and Government Departments should be revised to comply with best Government accounting practices. |
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(ii) Each Government Department and local authority should be obliged to have laid before the Dáil an up-to-date annual report and audited accounts within 90 days of the Second Reading of the Finance Bill. |
Policy relating to the accounts and audit of local authorities is under review: these recommendations will be taken into account in the review. |
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(iii) Merge the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Local. |
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(iv) Provide for adequate control on “cash equivalents” issued by Government Departments such as certificates, motor tax discs etc. |
Present practices are considered adequate but the position is kept under continuous review. |
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(v) Provide for full and proper reconciliation of all receipts for all forms of certification issued by Government Departments. |
