Vol. 559 No. 1
78 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Finance if he has satisfied himself that the cost-benefit studies, undertaken by line Departments are sufficiently open to public scrutiny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25599/02]
The Deputy will be aware that reviews of programmes are undertaken under the expenditure review initiative. The Government decided as part of the arrangements for the next phase of the process that all future expenditure reports should be published on Departments websites and be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. My Department has also made available to the Committee of Public Accounts a list of reviews completed to date. Copies of these reviews are available from the Departments concerned.
The Deputy will be aware that about 80% of all voted capital spending is allocated to national development plan, NDP, programmes. Over the next year each of the operational programmes under the NDP will be subject to evaluation in advance of the overall mid-term evaluation due in 2003. The terms of reference for each of these evaluations include a requirement to assess issues of project selection. These evaluations will be publicly available.
In addition, details of cost benefit studies generally undertaken by Departments can be sought under the Freedom of Information Act, 1997.
