Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 Feb 2003

Vol. 562 No. 1

Written Answers - Estimates Report.

Jan O'Sullivan

Question:

193 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Finance the Government's view of the Independent Estimates Review Committee; if it is intended to implement any of the recommendations made; if the Government has specifically rejected any of the recommendations made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5374/03]

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

The report of the Independent Estimates Review Committee, which I published at budget time, was of considerable assistance to Government in prioritising spending choices for 2003. While the Abridged Estimates Volume reflects many of the recommendations of the committee, the final decisions underpinning the expenditure Estimates for 2003 were, of course, taken by Government. These are fully reflected in the Abridged Estimates Volume published on 14 November last and in my Budget Statement to this House on 4 December last. Individual Ministers would be in a position to comment further on the extent to which specific recommendations of the committee are reflected in the spending Estimates for their Departments. The report noted that my Department had already identified the savings necessary to reach the pre-Budget 2003 target for my Department's Vote. The report's only proposal in relation to my Department's Vote was that the allocation in it for the change management fund be reduced by €2 million. This proposal was implemented.

In its summary of conclusions, the report made a number of recommendations relating broadly to the following areas: the need for a medium-term review of expenditure including an examination of overlaps between programmes and agencies; the need for better control of numbers and administrative costs; the need for changes in the structure of the health services and improvement in the delivery of existing health services and recommendations in relation to public service pay.

The up to date position in relation to each of those recommendations is as follows. As announced in my Budget Statement, a medium-term review of expenditure will be conducted this year by my Department. The Deputy will be aware that in my Budget Statement, I also announced the Government had decided that numbers employed across all sectors of the public service were to be capped with immediate effect and that there would be a reduction of 5,000 in those numbers over the next three years. The views of the committee will inform Government's consideration of the outcome of a number of studies under way in the health area. These include the Commission on Financial Management and Control, the National Task Force on Medical Manpower and the audit of structures and functions. In relation to public service pay policy, the issues raised by the committee have been fully considered as part of the recent talks on a new partnership agreement.