Departmental Administration.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 June 2004

Wednesday, 2 June 2004

Questions (235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240)

John Bruton

Question:

228 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has had a risk assessment carried out on possible consequential risks to the effectiveness of services provided by each department or agency under his aegis which is to relocate under the Government’s decentralisation programme; if not, the reason therefor; and if so, if the risk assessment will be published, furnished to the Comptroller and Auditor General and accessible under the Freedom of Information Act 1997. [16852/04]

John Bruton

Question:

229 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the Secretary General of his Department has provided him with advice in pursuance of the Secretary General’s responsibility as Accounting Officer under public finance procedures as set out in table 2 of the Mullarkey report; and if not, if he has requested such advice from the Secretary General. [16867/04]

John Bruton

Question:

231 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will take steps to ensure that the annual report of his Department will contain a risk assessment of decentralisation, as it affects his Department or agencies under its aegis, dealing with strategic, operational, financial and reputational risks as set out in paragraph 6.31 of the Mullarkey report. [16897/04]

John Bruton

Question:

232 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the audit committee of his Department will consider a risk assessment with regard to strategic, operational, financial and reputational risks of the implementation of the Government’s decentralisation proposals as they affect his Department or its agencies; and if not, the reason therefor, in view of the recommendation of the Mullarkey committee that such risk assessment be carried out. [16912/04]

John Bruton

Question:

237 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the Secretary General of his Department has tendered advice to him in pursuance of his personal responsibility as Secretary General under public financial procedures for economy and efficiency in the administration of his Department on the impact in the short or long term on the economy and the efficiency of administration of his Department or its agencies arising from the Government’s proposals for decentralisation. [16970/04]

Written answers

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 228, 229, 231, 232 and 237 together.

The Deputy will be aware that immediately following the Government's announcement of the decentralisation programme, my colleague, the Minister for Finance appointed an implementation group to prepare an overall implementation plan in co-operation with all of the organisations involved. In its first report of 31 March 2004, the group recommends that each organisation participating in the programme should prepare its own implementation plan and submit it to the group by the end of May 2004.

The agencies and organisations under the aegis of my Department selected for decentralisation have prepared and submitted plans to the group. These initial implementation plans may require further development as additional information emerges in relation to the people, property and business issues identified in the implementation group's report. The plans incorporate specific risk assessments in the case of each agency due to decentralise and examine the effectiveness of services.

I assure the Deputy I will be happy to arrange for the publication of my Department's plan and the plans of agencies under my Department's aegis after they have been made available to the implementation group and to staff interests.

With regard to the issue of public financial procedures generally, I assure the Deputy I am aware of the requirement in the public financial procedures for Accounting Officers to ensure all relevant financial considerations are taken fully into account and, where necessary, brought to the attention of Ministers, with regard to the preparation and implementation of policy proposals relating to expenditure or income. In addition, there is an ongoing awareness in my Department of the type of risks identified in paragraph 6.31 of the Report of the Working Group on the Accountability of Secretaries General and Accounting Officers — the Mullarkey report. All these issues are regularly addressed in my Department. The issue of risk is a standing item on the Department's audit committee agenda.

John Bruton

Question:

230 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the work completed by the audit committee in his Department in examining the implementation of his Department’s risk management strategy in accordance with paragraph 6.51 of the Mullarkey report. [16882/04]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell)

As I indicated in reply to a Parliamentary Question tabled by the Deputy on 20 May, my Department's audit committee was appointed in January 2004 and held its first meeting on 19 January. Preparatory work is being done in my Department on the development of a risk management strategy and I expect this will be further developed in the coming months by the audit committee in association with the relevant officials.

Questions Nos. 231 and 232 answered with Question No. 228.