The business of our meeting is consideration of the Taoiseach's group of Revised Estimates. Dáil Éireann has ordered that the following Revised Estimates for the public service be referred to this sub-committee for consideration, namely, Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach, Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General, Vote 13 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor, and Vote 14 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. I welcome the Taoiseach and his officials. The purpose of our meeting is to consider the Revised Estimates and the supplementary performance information regarding the outputs and impacts of programme expenditure. A draft timetable has been circulated. Is it agreed? Agreed. I call the Taoiseach to make his opening statement.
Vote 14 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
I thank the Chairman and congratulate him on his committee. I hope its deliberations go well in respect of all the Votes it will examine. In respect of the Department of the Taoiseach, Votes 2, 3, 13 and 14, including the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Chief State Solicitor and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, I am happy to appear before this committee. I would like to set out the broad areas of the work of my Department, including some of the reforms introduced to date. I will also briefly outline the proposed Estimate allocations for the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Chief State Solicitor and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
As members will be aware, while I have certain ministerial responsibilities to the Oireachtas in respect of administrative matters in the legal offices, they operate independently of my Department. I should add that similarly, the Minister of State at my Department, Deputy Paul Kehoe, has delegated responsibility for certain administrative matters relating to the Central Statistics Office. The 2011 Estimate for the CSO is €80 million, which includes the costs of the census of population. This has already been approved by the House. The Minister of State also serves as Government Chief Whip and plays a key role in the management of parliamentary business and in implementing the Government's legislative and reform programmes.
I am also assisted in my Department by the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs, Deputy Lucinda Creighton. Key aspects of the Minister of State's work include co-ordination of European affairs across Departments, participation in EU ministerial council meetings, engagement with international representatives at home and abroad and advance preparation for Ireland's EU Presidency in 2013.
The Revised Estimate for the Department of the Taoiseach for 2011 is €21.039 million. Since being elected Taoiseach, I have made a number of significant changes to the operation of my Department. The programme for Government states that: "We will reduce the size of the Department of the Taoiseach, transforming it into the equivalent of a Cabinet Office that oversees the delivery of a new Programme for Government". Arising from the commitment, sections and posts in the Department which had been engaged in work that now comes within the responsibility of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform have transferred to that Department along with some support staff. We will also bring in a smaller number of additional staff from the Department of Foreign Affairs to help improve co-ordination of EU matters. Following these changes, the number of staff in the Department will be in the region of 175.
Yesterday, the Government appointed Ms Geraldine Byrne-Nason to a newly-created position of second Secretary General in the Department. The new post will have responsibility for the management of an integrated EU co-ordination function, engaging with other Departments as appropriate, reporting to myself and the Tánaiste as appropriate in respect of our particular responsibilities at European level, managing support for the Government economic management council, which is chaired by me, and reporting to the Tánaiste on matters relating to that council and managing an Office of the Tánaiste within the Department of the Taoiseach with responsibility for co-ordinating support for the Tánaiste in his whole-of-government responsibilities.
In the context of these arrangements, a unified EU co-ordination division is being established with personnel from my Department's existing EU and international division and from the EU affairs division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade which will relocate to my Department. These changes represent a significant development in the structure and work of the Department. They are designed to serve to achieve the twin objectives of strengthening co-ordination arrangements and streamlining activity while enhancing the effectiveness of strategic direction at the centre of Government.
They also reflect, in particular, the importance I place on Ireland playing an active and effective role in all aspects of the European Union and on rebuilding our international reputation and relationships. I should stress that following these changes, my Department remains significantly smaller than was the case under the previous administration, in line with the programme for Government.
Furthermore, the significant related changes in the structure of Government, notably the creation of the new Department of Public Expenditure and Reform under the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, serve to clarify responsibilities and to sharpen the focus on key national priorities within Government.
The primary focus of the restructured Department of the Taoiseach is to support me in my role as Head of Government and to support the Government through the Cabinet process. To assist the co-ordination and delivery of Government activity, I have established a number of Cabinet committees, including areas such as economic recovery and jobs, economic infrastructure, European affairs, public service reform, social policy, health, climate change and the green economy and the Irish language.
I also chair the new Government economic management committee, which also has the status of a Cabinet committee, and which includes the Tánaiste, the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Working closely with the Tánaiste and other ministerial colleagues, I will lead the process for reform which is at the heart of the programme for Government. I will also review progress on a regular basis with each Minister.
My Department also supports me in carrying out a range of other responsibilities attached to my office. These include responsibilities with regard to the Oireachtas, the European Council, the North-South Ministerial Council, the British-Irish Council and other matters related to Northern Ireland, the conduct of international relations and formal State functions such as commemorative activities and incoming high level visits.
The committee has received extensive briefing on all these aspects of the Department's work in advance of this session. The amount allocated in the Estimate for 2011 represents a reduction of 27% on the 2010 Estimates allocation. If the full allocation is spent, it would represent an increase of 12% over the outturn for 2010, although I hope the Department will be able to come in well within budget. That has consistently been the case in recent years.
The increase of approximately €2 million over the 2010 outturn relates primarily to one-off expenditure on salaries, wages and allowances related to the transition from the previous Government, plus costs related to events such as the visits by Queen Elizabeth and President Obama, the State funeral for Dr. Garret FitzGerald and the forthcoming presidential inauguration ceremonies.
The first State visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Ireland in May was very successful and the public and private sense of reconciliation was appreciated by all. The visit by President Obama also provided an opportunity to reflect on the enormous achievement that is the peace process in Northern Ireland and at the same time to enhance the very strong bonds between Ireland and the US.
These costs incurred must be seen in the context of the opportunities which the visits presented not only for trade, investment and tourism but also in regard to enhancing Ireland's international reputation and profile. While it is very hard to quantify their full value in financial terms, Fáilte Ireland found that the combined visits generated almost 38,000 print and broadcast pieces, which would be of the value of nearly €300 million in terms of its advertising equivalent and which undoubtedly generated very positive global exposure for this country.
Our country will benefit long into the future from both visits. It should be borne in mind that the UK remains our largest merchandise trading partner, in particular with regard to food, drink and tourism. The US is also a very large trading partner and remains our largest source of foreign direct investment. These one-off additional costs are borne by subheads Al and A3.
The amounts allocated to all other subheads, with the exception of the Moriarty tribunal and a contingency allocation of €50,000 for subhead A7, is less than the 2010 outturn. There is a small increase in the allocation for the Moriarty tribunal, which operates independently even though it is funded from the Department of the Taoiseach Vote. As members will be aware, the Moriarty tribunal issued its second and final report in March. The report was the subject of a two-day debate in the Dáil when all the issues arising from it were fully debated.
The publication of the second report means the tribunal has now discharged the functions entrusted to it by the Oireachtas. The tribunal will now invite and rule on applications for third party costs before it winds up its affairs. I cannot provide an accurate estimate of the final cost of the tribunal until it has concluded that final aspect of its work. It is likely to be quite significant and this will have to be provided for separately when the outcome is known.
The only other significant programme expenditure in my Department is the allocation of €2.3 million for the National Economic and Social Development Office. This office has seen significant restructuring and downsizing, with the dissolution last year of the former National Centre for Partnership and Performance and the National Economic and Social Forum.
My Department has traditionally had responsibility for convening the central coordinating mechanisms of social partnership and for engagement with the social partners on a regular basis. Engagement with social partners is a well-established part of the development of public policy throughout Europe. It may be that formal social partnership agreements are not appropriate at this time, and that social partnership agreements of the type which operated in the past will not be seen as appropriate or useful in the period ahead. However, social dialogue continues to take place in different ways and through different fora, for example, through the National Economic and Social Council which is under the aegis of my Department.
In addition, earlier this year officials from my Department, together with relevant Departments, met with the social partners in the context of the development of Ireland's national reform programme under the Europe 2020 strategy. Engagement with the public service trade unions has also continued under the terms of the Croke Park agreement which is the responsibility of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
Finally, on the programme side there is a small allocation of €85,000 for commemoration initiatives. The committee has more details in the brief provided. This is, of course, an issue that will grow in importance as we enter the forthcoming decade of centenaries. The Government is taking measures to ensure the various aspects of our shared history are commemorated in an appropriate way. That will involve intensive engagement with Members of the Oireachtas, as well as civil society and political representatives on both sides of the Border.
To summarise on the allocation for the Department of the Taoiseach, significant progress has been made in recent years in achieving efficiencies and savings while continuing to provide a professional and effective service. Between 2008 and 2011, there has been a 52% reduction in the overall Estimate, a 75% reduction in programme expenditure and a 25% reduction in staff numbers. These efforts will continue through the measures outlined in the Department's action plan to implement the Croke Park agreement and through the implementation of the outcomes of the ongoing comprehensive review of expenditure. It is my intention that the Department will be smaller and more focused, but no less effective, playing a key role in the strategic centre of Government.
I now wish to outline briefly to the committee the position on the Estimates for the independent legal offices for which I have certain administrative responsibilities and accountability to the House. Vote 3 covers the Office of the Attorney General. For 2011, the Office of the Attorney General has a net budget of €14.3 million, with 146 associated public service employees. This is broken into €12.8 million for administration, €2.3 million for programme expenditure and an appropriation-in-aid of €0.8 million. The majority of the administration expenditure relates to staff salaries which will cost €10.4 million in 2011.
The next largest expenditure is provided for in subhead B and is €2.1 million in respect of the Law Reform Commission. Funds for the operation of the commission are channelled through the AGO Vote as a grant-in-aid. The need to effect savings is fully appreciated by the Office of the Attorney General. In the past three years, it has reduced expenditure as well as staff numbers and reorganised itself to operate within the financial and staffing parameters set down by Government. During these changes it has maintained the expected high level of service. Finances and other resources such as staff for the foreseeable future will be restricted and the office's main challenge continues to be adapting in order to ensure it meets the demands of its clients. A prodigious output of complex legislation is making its way through the Office of the Attorney General.
Vote 13 covers the Chief State Solicitor's office. The 2011 Estimate for the Chief State Solicitor's office is €34.188 million, with 228 employees. Under administration, salaries, wages and allowances accounts for just under €15 million out of a total of €18 million. A figure of €17.9 million is allocated for the payment of fees to counsel from subhead B and other general legal expenses from subhead C. The figures for salary and legal expenses combined account for 96% of the net allocation in the Revised Estimates of €34 million. The remaining €3 million is attributable to the general running costs of the office and includes provision for items such as IT services, training, security, cleaning, utilities and upkeep of offices. Appropriations-in-aid are estimated at €1.8 million and will include legal costs recovered by the office along with the recoupment of the pension levy.
Vote 14 covers the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Estimate for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is €43.263 million, with an associated 195 employees. This provides for the salaries and expenses of the director and his staff, the cost of the local State solicitor service, fees to counsel engaged by the director to prosecute cases in the various courts, and legal costs awarded against the State arising out of judicial review and other legal proceedings.
The Estimate for 2011 represents a 4.5% increase on the amount provided for 2010. A number of factors account for the increase. Provision has been made in the salaries subhead to cover the cost of a small number of additional staff recruited on short term temporary contracts to enable the director to deal with investigations involving financial institutions and to provide cover for frontline legal staff on maternity leave. Provision has also been made in 2011 to cover costs of a possible move to new premises. In addition, the outturn figure for subhead C, general law expenses, in 2010 was lower than estimated. As I stated earlier, the DPP is of course fully independent in the exercise of his duties.
Overall, the total allocation for my Department and the offices of the Attorney General, Chief State Solicitor and Director of Public Prosecutions is €113 million, with approximately 740 staff. While this is a very small part of the overall public service, the services provided are absolutely essential and must be provided to the highest possible standards. I thank the staff for their continuing efforts in supporting the Government in its work and in providing essential public services to our citizens. I also thank members for their attention and commend these Estimates to the committee.
Thank you, Taoiseach. I call on Opposition spokesmen to make their opening remarks.
I welcome the Taoiseach to the committee. I am pleased that he came personally to preside over the discussion of the Estimates for his Department. I wish him every success in the new Government because it is in the national interest that the Government does well. We support all positive measures by the Government in that regard.
We are here to discuss the Estimate for the Department of the Taoiseach and associated agencies. While I do not want to get into the minutiae of travel costs or postage costs, I will make some general observations. While there might not be an immediate opportunity to answer some of my questions now, during the course of the debate the Taoiseach might be able to pick up on some of the points I make.
In the briefing notes we received, there is a significant role for the Department supporting the international financial services industry. That, combined with negotiations the Taoiseach will be involved in at European level on the EU-ECB-IMF deal, is very important so perhaps the Taoiseach will outline the staff and their qualifications in the Department who assist in those negotiations. Staff from the Central Bank and Department of Finance are obviously involved but what is the complement of expertise in the Department of the Taoiseach? It would be important that the Taoiseach has his own sources of information and would not be wholly reliant exclusively on the line Departments.
The Taoiseach mentioned the Chief State Solicitor's office in his opening remarks. There are significant delays in that office. Many Departments that pay grants must refer them to the Chief State Solicitor's office if the figure is above a certain level and many community and voluntary organisations contact us regarding the delays experienced in that office that hold up vital funding for such organisations.
I presume the Attorney General, in consultation with the Chief State Solicitor's office, sets the fees for various barristers and solicitors who work on behalf of the State on issues that arise over the year. On page 65 of the briefing note, it specifically states that the Committee of Public Accounts issued a report on procurement of legal services by public bodies in January 2011 and it is expected that the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform will issue a circular on the matter in due course. I hope the Taoiseach will be able to explain that more will happen than a circular coming in due course. The issue of legal fees, as specifically mentioned in the four year agreement and in the agreement with the troika is one of those protected areas that needs to be dealt with and opened up to more competition. I think people would welcome legislation and the Taoiseach may have plans other than the issuing of a circular.
The Taoiseach mentioned also the DPP and at no stage in my discussions today am I trying to impact on the independence on the Office of the Chief State Solicitor or of the Office of Attorney General or the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. However in the report of the Taoiseach, it was stated that there are some additional staff on contract in the Office of the DPP, dealing with investigations involving financial institutions and they provide full-time cover. The Taoiseach might discuss when he expects the investigations into the financial institutions to take place. I am not asking the Taoiseach to discuss the content of any of the issues but could we safely say that when he comes back with next year's Estimates we might have seen some of these matters brought to court by then? That is a generous timescale. Everybody who campaigned in the recent election knows the unanimous frustration among the general public as they see nobody was made to pay or brought to court for all the misdeeds that happened in the banking sector. I am not in any way going to draw a conclusion as to whether they were criminal, negligent or otherwise, but clearly the Office of the DPP believes there is a case to investigate if he is taking on some short-term temporary staff. On the face of it, the DPP believes there is a case worth investigating and prosecuting. The public would welcome the office of the DPP taking on the issue. If more staff are needed, I would support the employment of additional temporary staff because there is overwhelming dissatisfaction among the general public on those issues.
The Moriarty tribunal issued its final report and the matter of third party costs arises. Does the Government intend to reduce legal fees and will this be brought to bear on the third party costs that have yet to be examined, adjudicated on and approved by the Moriarty tribunal because they will run into vast sums? I would not hazard a guess at this stage as to how large those sums will be. Will there be a review of the procurement of legal services by public bodies?
The Taoiseach supplied a script today and I summarise it as follows, Vote 2 - Estimate for the Department of the Taoiseach is up 12% on last year and Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General is up 7% on the outturn for last year. The Vote for the Office of the Chief State Solicitor is up 8% on last year and the Vote for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is up 4%. All in all there is an increase from €104 million to €112 million, an increase of 8%. This is a significant increase in the Estimates this year when we are informed of the general reduction in Government expenditure of approximately 3%. I know that serious reductions were made in a number of minor subheads, but the overall figures are as I outlined.
In the course of his address the Taoiseach stated the number of staff in his Department will be in the region of 175, but later he states:
I should stress that following these changes, my Department remains significantly smaller than was the case under the previous administration,
The Taoiseach will understand that in terms of the Estimates brought forward today, it states that the number of staff in the Department of the Taoiseach in 2010 was 168, the number of staff in the Department in 2011 is 167, but then the Taoiseach indicated the number of staff will end up at 175. I do not understand the maths in that case. I wish to make that point, in case an impression was given about staff numbers.
A new Secretary General is being appointed, whose essential role is to support the Tánaiste. Will the Taoiseach talk us through in due course what staff will be under the new Secretary General in the Department of the Taoiseach? Will the new Secretary General be an Accounting Officer in reporting to the Tánaiste or will the Secretary General to the Department of the Taoiseach remain the Accounting Officer for the entire Department and, if so, would that position of second Secretary General be one of the few Secretaries General that would not be an Accounting Officer in terms of having to answer a Public Account Committee?
I support every effort to collect fees where awards were made in favour of the State. On the final Vote for the Office of the Chief State Solicitor states that appropriations-in-aid, fees collected where awards were made in favour of the State. The Taoiseach states that costs of just over €895,000 were recovered in 2010. What is the outstanding amount of awards to the State that have not yet been collected? Almost €1 million was collected in 2010. I would be worried if the costs are very large. I have seen cases in the Public Accounts Committee where awards have been made but some Departments are not completely diligent in following up costs awarded to the State. If there is a figure of the amount that has been awarded but not yet been collected, I would appreciate it. I regret troubling the Taoiseach with some mundane questions, but I am sure we will have an opportunity to discuss the smaller point at the Committee of Public Accounts during the course of the year.
I wish the Deputy every success in his role as Taoiseach.
As some of my points have been covered, I will not repeat the questions. I welcome the Taoiseach and wish him well over the next four and a half years.
I would like some information on the Government press office; I would like to know how that office works; how many staff are assigned to it and its remit in terms of the Taoiseach's interaction with them? The Taoiseach gave a number of examples of efficiency savings in public services on a North South basis. I would like further details on some of the proposals the Taoiseach is looking at.
An increase in incidental expenses of 107% was striking. Even though it is up 107% over the Revised Estimate for 2010, the actual outturn will be down. I would like to have the figures clarified. Under Vote 14 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecution - office premises expenses rose significantly by 91%. Is there any particular reason for that rise? I do not have too much more to say as we can go into the real detail of it later.
As best I can I have flagged the particular issues that Deputies Fleming and O'Brien wish to address because I am obliged in this instance to call each of the Votes on the subheads separately. I ask Deputies to try to recall the questions you have asked and remind the Chair to ask the Taoiseach to address them as we go through each of the subheads. I am conscious that other colleagues opposite will have some questions.
The first subhead that appears on all these Votes A1 - salaries, wages and allowances is broad and can facilitate colleagues to ask general questions, but I ask them not to stray too far from the remit.
I propose to call the individual programmes and the corresponding subheads on the five votes. The first is Vote 2, Department of the Taoiseach. The subheads are noted and members are briefed with information on this subhead, for their assistance, between pages 1 and 42 of the booklet. We will start with subhead A1, which relates to salaries, wages and allowances. Are there any comments or questions in that regard?
I would like to ask about the staff who are available to advise the Taoiseach on financial matters, and about the function and role of the second Secretary General in the Department of the Taoiseach.
I do not know what their economic qualifications are. They interact with other bodies that have expertise on these matters. A significant element of the work of the Department of the Taoiseach is the management of that expertise. There are some very experienced people in the different sectors of the Department. I have brought in some elements of economic expertise from my previous existence as well. The small but competent group of staff who are dealing with the EU requirements are used to dealing with such matters over many years. The same thing can be said of the staff of the Northern Ireland division, who served taoisigh before me to exemplary levels. I am happy with that. When the various Cabinet committees need to deal with certain issues, they can call on that experience. If necessary, they can bring in outside expertise when specific requirements arise.
The increase of 107% in the Vote mentioned by the Chairman relates to the visits of Queen Elizabeth and President Obama. In addition, arrangements are being made for the presidential inauguration that will take place in November of this year. That is why an increase of 107% has been provided for.
Deputy Fleming also asked about the second Secretary General.
The second Secretary General was appointed yesterday. The Deputy may be aware that the person in question has considerable experience in Brussels. She will not be an Accounting Officer. She will report to the Secretary General of the Department, who is also the Secretary to the Government.
The question that was asked about the press office might be appropriate here.
The Taoiseach has said that additional pay costs resulted from the transitional arrangements that were put in place for the change of Government. Can I get some broader detail on that? How did that work? Did new people come in to replace old people? There has been an increase in the actual spend.
Extra costs are associated with the Government Information Service because limited resources have been allocated to improve the overall operation of the service. For example, a new service, www.merrionstreet.ie, has been introduced. The Estimate takes full account of the full-year cost of that service, as well as the appointment of two additional press officers. The reference to the appointment of an additional press secretary for a four-month period to facilitate the change of Government relates to the former Government press secretary, who has now moved on. Obviously, an allocation was made under the heading of the severance requirements of a number of former incumbents of this office. The entertainment costs to which I referred relate to the visits of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Albert of Monaco, the North-South consultative forum that was held in Farmleigh House, the meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council on 10 June last, the national day of commemoration, the funeral of the late Dr. Garret FitzGerald and the presidential inauguration.
I welcome the Taoiseach to the sub-committee and wish him well with the monumental task he faces. I assume that the Estimate for the Department of the Taoiseach, like the other Estimates we have dealt with, has largely been inherited. There has been an increase of 14% under this particular subhead. When we spoke yesterday about the new Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, I observed that the 2011 Estimates provide for an increase on the 2010 out-turn under all of the Votes. Every one of the four Votes we are considering from the Department of the Taoiseach provides for an increase. There are good reasons for that, in some cases. The Taoiseach mentioned the cost of the visits of the Queen and Mr. Obama. I completely understand that. It was money well spent. The value of those visits is immeasurable. The publicity we get from that sort of thing cannot be bought. Nevertheless, this country is insolvent. In a year when the IMF arrived on our shores, the Government of the day produced an Estimate that showed that we were intending to spend more on the Department of the Taoiseach. I do not intend to downgrade its huge importance as the strategic centre of government. It is largely an administrative Department, as is the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. When the troika arrives, it will see this. Apart from the impact it must have on the optics of our situation, from the troika's point of view, what must it mean to the public to see Departments increasing their Estimates each year at a time when people are being asked to accept cutbacks? The Taoiseach must be aware that everybody will have to be seen to take pain in the forthcoming budget and during the first Estimates process to be entirely in the hands of the new Government. Public services will have to be trimmed back. I am not referring specifically to the Department of the Taoiseach. This phenomenon applies to the two Estimates we have dealt with in recent days. In every single case, more money was required for a Vote in 2011 than in 2010. I am sure the Taoiseach is aware of that.
If one examines the Vote of the Department of the Taoiseach, one will find there have been decreases in all categories other than the two that have been mentioned. I refer to subhead A2, travel and subsistence - that relates to the wages of the personnel who work in that area of the Department - and subhead A3, training and development and incidental expenses. I can inform Deputy Mitchell that the 107% increase which was raised by Deputy O'Brien is the reason there have not been decreases in those two areas as well. We have had to provide for the necessary State entertainment involved in the visits and the presidential inauguration. There have been decreases in all the other areas. Each Estimate is an estimate of the upper limit of expenditure. Every Department is making an effort to curb spending. It is a complicated thing. If an office undershoots its Estimate for last year, its Estimate for this year will look different.
The out-turn may be different. I am making the point that this country has no money.
I am very conscious of that. It is why I walk to work and walk home again in the evening.
I appreciate that this Estimate is not the work of the Taoiseach.
Cuirim fáilte roimh an Taoiseach. Guím gach rath air sna blianta atá romhainn. I appreciate that the Taoiseach is not aware of the calibre or qualifications of the staff of the Department of the Taoiseach. We have an ever-increasing relationship with Europe, whether we like it or not. Is there an emphasis in the Department on employing more diplomatic staff and thus replicating the approach taken in the Department of Finance? Is it an objective of the Taoiseach that the Department should have more diplomatic staff, especially as Ireland will chair the EU in 2013, which will be crucial? Regardless of the views people have about what might or might not happen, the year in which Ireland will be chairing the EU will be an extremely important one.
I would like to join others in referring to the visits of the Queen and Mr. Obama to this country. I am curious to know whether the timing of the visits within a week of each other increased the costs of the visits or led to reduced costs. Was it easier to put arrangements in place so soon after a previous visit? Is any degree of significance attached to that?
No more diplomatic staff will be employed by the Department of the Taoiseach. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade deals with diplomatic staff. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade makes arrangements each year in respect of changes in personnel or placements that may occur within the diplomatic staff. As we try to safeguard Ireland's international reputation, our diplomatic staff and consular people engage with the diplomatic staff of other countries in Ireland, from within the European Union and outside it. The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs called all non-EU ambassadors, all the EU ambassadors here and all our own ambassadors, trade and consular officials back to Iveagh House to speak to them about how we could work together to increase the standing, status and reputation of our country and its people.
We want to move on in a diaspora sense by ensuring that important business people from this country who travel abroad, be it to the Far East, United States or elsewhere, have at their disposal information on the fundamentals of what Ireland offers as a country for foreign direct investment and location for business. If a chief executive of a major company is travelling to Singapore, Australia or the United States, we should be in a position to inform him or her that our diplomatic services locally, whether in Chicago, San Francisco or elsewhere, will arrange a business briefing or launch at which he or she could point out to other businesses that may be interested in investing in Ireland or elsewhere in Europe the business attractions this country offers for investment. Modern communications capacity is making this possible.
I met recently with representatives of the American Chamber of Commerce which represents approximately 600 CEOs in Ireland. It is important that we are able to keep this group informed of the world of opportunity provided by this country.
My Department will not employ new personnel in diplomatic services but will enhance the trade promotion aspect of the Department of Foreign Affairs under the responsibility of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs. We will expand the remit of the existing diplomatic service to make a connection with diaspora business and Irish business travelling to and from the country to inform them about what we have to offer.
I asked a second question on the recent State visits.
The combined cost of the recent State visits was more than we had originally estimated owing to the security costs involved. They came about when, in response to my original invitation extended to him on St. Patrick's Day, President Obama indicated he would take in Ireland while travelling to Britain and later to the G8 summit in Deauville for engagements. Buckingham Palace accepted an invitation for a visit from Áras an Uachtaráin at the same time. It was coincidental that the two visits took place close together. Unfortunately, Dr. Garret FitzGerald passed away in the period between the State visits, creating an added logistical problem for the State to address. The visits and State funeral were extensive both in terms of coverage and their requirements. The original estimate for the costs of the State visits was far exceeded owing to the security element of the costs involved. However, the response internationally and globally was magnificent, with advertising valued at an estimated €300 million resulting from the coverage, which included 38,000 articles printed about Ireland. One could argue that if the Queen had visited in a different month from President Obama, we would have started again from scratch. That the two visits fell in the same week and we had a State funeral in the period between them meant that personnel on duty were able to continue, as it were, to provide a seamless response to the two different types of visit and the State funeral in the middle.
I welcome the Taoiseach and his officials to the select committee. On the new forum, the supreme economic council or whatever its official title, what type of supports are provided to the group of four Ministers? How does it operate and how does the Taoiseach support his economic Ministers?
The Department of the Taoiseach has general responsibility for the transposition of all European Union directives. In our ordinary work as Deputies, we hear people complaining that certain directives have not been transposed. For example, people are complaining to me that the directive governing emissions from crematoriums has not been transposed into Irish law and Ireland faces major fines as a result of this failure. Glasnevin Cemetery and other cemeteries have crematoriums. The transposition score in terms of outputs has improved, having reached, I understand, 90%. Does the Taoiseach intend to take further measures to ensure key European Union directives are transposed in Irish law? I am aware that this is an old chestnut which the Taoiseach raised umpteen times on the Order of Business when he was Leader of the Opposition. Is it possible to get reasonably up-to-date in terms of transposing directives?
The forum to which the Deputy refers is the Economic Management Council which I chair and which is attended by the Tánaiste, Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. It is, therefore, in a position to draw on the expertise of all four Departments, as is required. The new Secretary General, the second Secretary General in my Department, will have responsibility for reporting to the Tánaiste in respect of the agenda and running of the council. Her role will also be to report to me, as Taoiseach, in respect of European co-ordination and European affairs. We have arrived at a position in which the Taoiseach and Tánaiste are intensely involved in European matters. We must commence preparations for holding the Presidency in the first half of 2013. This will be a significant Presidency and the Minister of State, Deputy Creighton, is already beginning work on it and will chair regular meetings of a committee to make detailed preparations.
The Minister of State, Deputy Creighton, also has responsibility for overseeing the transposition of European directives into Irish law. As Deputy Broughan will be aware, failure to comply with directives has fairly serious consequences in certain cases, for example, in respect of environmental legislation fines of more than €100,000 per day can be applied for non-compliance with EU directives. As we have discussed over the years, failure to deal with and neglect of many directives has resulted in a backlog of serious cases developing with which the Government must deal in respect of the Commission and so on.
To answer the Deputy's question, the Economic Management Council has available to it staff in various sectors from the four different Departments. It also has staff from my Department and a small budget has been allocated for specific issues on which the council may require a specific paper. From that point of view, the issues that are debated, discussed and decided at the Economic Management Council must go before the Cabinet for final endorsement as part of collective responsibility. It is, if one likes, an opportunity given the economic challenges the country faces to isolate individual economic issues and have them debated and decisions taken on them, as the case may be, and for streamlining the work of Cabinet in terms of its overall and collective responsibility.
The new, second Secretary General will add a new dimension to the work of the Department of the Taoiseach and Tánaiste. The personnel who will move from the Department of Foreign Affairs and have been involved in European co-ordination will combine with the small number of staff in my Department who currently deal with European Union matters. They have become experts in this area over the years. That is an element which will have a more concentrated and co-ordinated focus. A specific second Secretary General will deal with this area and report to me and-or the Tánaiste, as appropriate.
I would like to deal with the remaining administrative subheads, if I may. I ask Deputies to direct questions and comments specifically to the subhead in question and we will address more general issues on the strategic objectives in due course. Are there any comments or questions on subhead A2, travel and subsistence? No. Are there any comments or questions on subhead A3, training and development and incidental expenses? No. Are there any comments or questions on subhead A4, postal and telecommunications services? No. Are there any comments or questions on subhead A5, office equipment and external information technology? No. Are there any comments or questions on subhead A6, office premises expenses? Are there any comments or questions on subhead A7, consultancy services and value for money reviews? No.
Subhead B deals with the National Economic and Social Development office grant in aid. Are there any comments or questions? No. Subhead C deals with commemoration initiatives. Are there any comments or questions?
I would like to comment on that for members. We are entering a decade where we will have a range of events to be commemorated, some of which are quite sensitive. We are conscious of the -----
The year 2012 is the 100th anniversary of the Labour Party.
Of course, the Labour Party is the oldest party in the country. With regard to commemorative events, we will bring a memorandum to Government shortly for an inclusive structure with all-island dimension. Some of the events must be commemorated from both perspectives and there is a degree of sensitivity in that regard. The programme will go well beyond 2016, right through the next decade. I hope to have this finalised within the next week and will inform committee members of it. We also hope to include an additional capacity for academic accuracy, for those with a view on what events might be commemorated such as ones we might not consider in the normal run of events. I hope this process will be inclusive and will involve all parties and input from Northern Ireland.
Have we come to subhead F yet?
We are just coming to the tribunal of enquiry now.
I have just one question. I appreciate the Taoiseach has said the tribunal has made its last report and must now deal with outstanding third party costs and litigation. I am sure the Taoiseach is conscious that the estimate for the tribunal this year is one-sixth of the Department's budget, a significant sum of money. Has the Taoiseach any idea whether the tribunal will run into next year. Only a fraction of the estimate for this year has been spent to date. Will the tribunal run into next year and is it likely to require a similar amount?
I have no idea how long it is going to take to fix third-party costs and the process could well run into next year. The allocation here is because the Department of the Taoiseach must run that show, but I cannot answer the question, nor can anyone else. The process of awarding third-party costs starts probably will run into next year.
Are there any further comments or questions on subhead F, tribunal of inquiry?
I have a question on the Smithwick tribunal, but it does not come under this heading. Is there a separate section for that?
That comes under the Department of Justice and Equality subhead.
We will proceed to subhead E, appropriations-in-aid. Are there any comments or questions? In the course of our discussion, we already touched on the strategic objectives. Are there any further brief comments or questions on this Vote?
I will proceed to Vote 3, which covers the Office of the Attorney General. We will go through the subheads separately. The briefing on the subheads is from pages 43 to 56 of the document we received from the Department. Subhead A1 deals with salaries wages and allowances. Are there any comments or questions?
Do we have enough draftsmen for legislation? I raised the question of the huge tranche of legislation to be introduced earlier. Does the Department have enough expert draftsmen and senior lawyers who can produce the goods?
I met with the legislative committee on this. The Attorney General is producing a producing a prodigious amount of work under difficult circumstances. The situation has changed somewhat from previously, because there is now a timeline in place for the production of certain pieces of legislation under the EU-IMF bailout deal. Given the time requirement, these Bills have had to take priority. For example, in the Dáil this morning, Deputy Durkan asked, as he has been asking for the past decade, when the legal services Bill would be produced. I was happy to be able to tell him that there is a time requirement on it and it must be produced by quarter 3 under the conditions of the bailout deal. We could say, one can never have enough staff, but I am very happy with the commitment and dedication of the Attorney General and her staff to prioritise and work on and produce complex legislation. The drafting section of Parliamentary Counsel has 27 sanctioned, permanent posts, all of which are filled.
We will proceed to subhead A2. Are there any comments or questions? No. Subhead A3 deals with training and development and incidental expenses under Vote 3. Are there any comments or questions? No. Subhead A4 deals with postal and telecommunications services. Are there any comments or questions?
I have just a brief comment. The Vote is reduced generally in this area, as we saw with some of the other Votes we examined. It is a pity to see a reduction rather than increase in the telecommunications area. The reduction is substantial.
That is noted. Subhead A5 deals with office equipment and external IT services. Are there any comments or questions? No. Subhead A6 deals with office premises' expenses. Are there any comments or questions? No. Subhead A7 deals with consultancy services and value for money reviews. Are there any comments or questions? No. Subhead A8 deals with contract legal expertise. Are there any comments or questions? No.
Subhead B deals with contributions to international organisations. Are there any comments or questions?
A number of colleagues have raised the issue of State contributions to organisations generally. A range of Departments make separate contributions to particular organisations, for example IBEC. In the context of running a tighter more efficient Government, is there some way we can ensure the State makes a single contribution? I am not sure this would be arranged through the Taoiseach's Department, but could it be done? I do not know whether the staff of the Department has noticed that multiple contributions are made to the same organisations, whether in international or domestic. Is there some way to arrange for just a single contribution to be made?
The Deputy has raised a valid point, particularly in cases where there might be duplication involved. Normally, if a payment is due to an organisation, it is linked to the number of people involved, so there might not be much of a saving incurred by making only one contribution. However, the question of duplication should be properly scrutinised. In the context of the comprehensive spending review, even though the amounts might be very small, the issue will be discussed with regard to the efficiency and accuracy of the payments being made.
Subhead C deals with grant in aid to the Law Reform Commission. Are there any comments or questions? No. Subhead D deals with general law expenses. Are there any comments or questions? Subhead E deals with appropriations in aid. Are there any comments or questions? No.
We will proceed to Vote 13 which deals with the Office of the Chief State Solicitor. Pages 57 to 69 of the briefing documentation provide a summary of the administrative subheads A1 to A8, which we will take as a group. Are there any comments or question? No.
We will move on to the programme expenditure for the State Laboratory public service activity. Sorry, I will return to the subhead dealing with legal fees. Are there any comments or questions?
I apologise for arriving late. There has been a 16% increase in barristers' fees under the Office of the Chief State Solicitor. What has been done to reduce the costs? What is the hourly rate for junior and senior barristers' State briefs?
I will have to get that for the Deputy. Having raised this question on umpteen occasions in the past, it seems they are pretty substantial. Legal fees were reduced by 8% on 1 March 2009 and by either 10% or 15% on 1 February 2010. Legal fees should be kept to the minimum and this issue has always caused consternation in the House. We need to be able to reflect the complexity of the work that is going on and pay a fair rate for it. This issue was the source of some considerable debate in the Dáil and the Seanad over the years. I can get the details for the Deputy.
The Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor operate jointly a system of evaluating the work done by each counsel, and then they decide on the appropriate fee in each and every case. Since 2009, the Office of the Chief State Solicitor has instigated a far more intensive process of evaluation of fees to be paid and of the management of the budget involved. This has been supported by the work of a high level professional fees control group and by greater guidance to staff in the first instance on the methodologies for assessing fees, and by the high level of consistency in the application of that assessment process. People being awarded work know that there is a far more rigorous scrutiny than that which applied heretofore.
There is a note on page 66 of the briefing document which provides some elaboration on that issue.
Subhead C deals with general law expenses and is on page 67. Are there any questions? No. Subhead D deals with appropriations in aid. Are there are any comments or questions? No.
Vote 14 deals with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The briefing material is on pages 70 to 76. I am obliged in this case to call each subhead separately. Subhead A1 deals with salaries, wages and allowances. Are there any comments or questions? Any comments or questions on subhead A1, which deals with travel and subsistence? Any comments or questions on subhead A3? Any comments on subhead A4, which deals with postal and telecommunications services? Any comments or questions on office equipment and external IT services? Any comments or questions on subhead A6, which deals with office premises expenses?
That is covered in the explanation. I am happy with that.
Subhead A7 deals with consultancy services and value for money reviews. Are there any comments or questions in that regard? Subhead B deals with fees to counsel. Are there any comments or questions? Subhead C deals with general law expenses. Are there any comments or questions? Subhead D deals with local State solicitor services. Are there any comments or questions? Are there any comments or questions on appropriations in aid under this Vote? No.
That brings us to a conclusion. I would like to thank An Taoiseach and his officials for assisting us with our consideration of the revised Estimates and programmes this afternoon. As we have now completed our consideration of the Revised Estimates for Votes 2, 3, 13 and 14, the clerk will send a message to that effect to the Clerk of the Dáil in accordance with Standing Order 87. Under Standing Order 86(2), the message is deemed to be the report of the committee.
Thank you Chairman for the efficient way you have chaired this meeting. I would also like to thank those committee members who attended and I appreciate the contributions made. I wish them well in their endeavours in the future.
Thank you, Taoiseach. It is nice to see you here at the committee meeting.