Nora Owen
Question:5 Mrs. Owen asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on the report for 1998 and 1999 of progress made under the Strategy Statement 1998-2001 published by his Department. [2154/01]
Ceisteanna–Questions. - Strategy Statements.
The progress report under my DepartmentWP extended char 4,28s Strategy Statement 1998-2001, for the period from May 1998 to end 1999, sets out the progress made against the key priorities identified in the strategy statement. It also updates the material in the strategy statement in light of developments in the intervening period refocusing on the DepartmentWP extended char 4,28s aims and objectives to bring it forward into 2001 and beyond.
The report was prepared in accordance with section 4(1)(b) of the Public Service Management Act, 1997. Work on progress achieved during 2000 under the statement is currently under way.
Will the Taoiseach accept that if one looks at progress and improvements, the Department of the Taoiseach would get a bad mark for the offices we discussed earlier, given the slowness in improving services in the Chief State Solicitor's office and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions which are under the Department's aegis? Will the Taoiseach out line the new tools to help the Department to assess performance in qualitative terms over a range of activities, as was mentioned in chapter four?
The workload of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Chief State Solicitor's office, apart from the IR difficulty they are currently trying to deal with, has never been greater and the work has never been more efficient. Credit for this is also owed to the former Attorney General, Mr. Gleeson. The offices are now more efficient in legislative terms, order terms and statute terms than they have been since the foundation of the State.
The Deputy is referring to the Public Service Management Act and the SMI process which involves an all-party committee of the House dealing across all Departments by bringing together modern management techniques. Within the Civil Service, even though it is a difficult time, there has been a major extension of the strategic management initiative process as a driver of change throughout the public service. The SMI division has been putting in place a strategic management framework, office by office and Department by Department, as provided for in the Public Service Management Act, 1997.
The programme for change has been underpinned by formal partnership agreements in every sector of the public sector using participative structures, management, unions and staff. An enormous number of people throughout the agencies of the State have worked extremely hard and put huge effort into the modernisation programme. It is not easy but they are doing their utmost. I am grateful for their efforts in trying to progess this. I have supported them with resources and in whatever way I can. Last year they produced a comprehensive programme of what they are about and they are doing their best to achieve it. It is not always easy. Departments can be overstaffed or people might be overworked. They are working at it.
What Departments and agencies are about, what they are trying to do and how they spell it out in their blueprints is something that was never done before. It is most rewarding and useful for staff. I am not saying there is not a lot more to be done but the all-party group is working with them to do it.