Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2004
286 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if his Department has achieved the target, set out in the initiation of the expenditure review initiative in 1997, that all Government expenditure be subject to a formal review under that initiative every three years; and if not, the areas of expenditure where the review has not taken place. [17576/04]
View answer287 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the areas of expenditure of his Department in respect of which an expenditure review under the expenditure review initiative has not yet been completed and published. [17591/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 286 and 287 together.
The initial target of the expenditure review initiative was to review all expenditure programmes over a three year period. A review of the process by the Department of Finance-expenditure review central steering committee in 2000 and 2001 found that the target had been over ambitious and that a more focused approach to the selection of review topics was required. The view was supported by a Comptroller and Auditor General value for money study of the ERI in 2001. He proposed that a more realistic target should be set that took into account the level of evaluative capacity in Departments generally.
In June 2001 the Government decided, inter alia, that the Department of Finance and Departments and offices should compile and agree a work plan of review topics based on specific selection criteria. In other words, that programmes selected for review should reflect Government priorities or strategic result areas and involve a significant level of expenditure. In May 2002 the Government approved a schedule of expenditure review topics proposed for the first year of the next three year planning horizon, 2002 to 2004, inclusive, and noted the topics proposed for 2003 and 2004.
In April 2003 the ERCSC, in consultation with the Department of Finance, asked Departments and offices to update their expenditure review plans. The committee emphasised the Government's selection criteria and advised that Departments and offices should select a small number of programmes or areas involving major policy issues or significant levels of expenditure. On foot of the process my Department drew up revised expenditure review plans in consultation with the Department of Finance.
Since the inception of the ERI in 1997 my Department has completed expenditure reviews on the following topics: primary education, Institiuid Teangeolaíochta Éireann and the home-school-community liaison scheme.
As part of the ERI's 2002-2004 phase a number of reviews are nearing completion. They are as follows: supply panel for primary teaching that was finished and quality assessed according to ERI procedures; operation of the education centres that are being assessed; and youth encounter projects that is due for completion before the end of the year.
In response to the above mentioned request of April 2003 to update our reviews plans, a number of topics were considered. The following reviews were agreed and are scheduled for completion in the current phase of the ERI: first and second level schools building programmes; schools ICT programmes; expenditure on guidance services; and ICT undergraduate skills programmes and in career development.
