Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2004
327 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources 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 in respect of which the three yearly review has not taken place. [17577/04]
View answer328 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources 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. [17592/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 327 and 328 together.
The initial target of the expenditure review initiative was to review all expenditure programmes over a three year period. However, a review of the process by the expenditure review central steering committee, ERCSC, in the Department of Finance in 2000-01 found that this target had been over-ambitious and that a more focused approach to the selection of review topics was required. This view was supported by a Comptroller and Auditor General value for money study of the expenditure review initiative in 2001 which proposed that a more realistic target should be set, taking into account the level of evaluative capacity in departments generally.
In June 2001 the Government decided, inter alia, that the Department of Finance and individual Departments-offices should compile and agree a work plan of review topics based on specific selection criteria set out in the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report. Subsequently, in May 2002 the Government approved a schedule of expenditure review topics proposed for the first year of the next three-year planning horizon, 2002-2004, and noted the topics proposed for 2003 and 2004. In April 2003, the ERCSC requested Departments-offices to update their expenditure review plans, again in consultation with the Department of Finance. The committee emphasised the Government’s selection criteria and advised that Departments-offices should select a small number of programmes-areas involving major policy issues or significant levels of expenditure. On foot of this process, revised expenditure review plans were drawn up by Departments-offices.
This Department has completed six expenditure reviews from 1997 to date. Summary details are listed in the following table, together with the subheads to which each review relates. Three of the Department's reviews are being prepared for publication: BIM ice plants, fishery harbours and coast protection. It is at the discretion of the Department whether to publish these reviews and lay them before the Houses of the Oireachtas since this is not required for reviews listed in the 1997-2001 phase. The reviews will be placed on the Department's Internet site, and simultaneously laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.
The Department has also completed two further reviews. It is a matter for the Department of Agriculture and Food to publish the review of the forestry structural programme as the function transferred to that Department on 1 January 2004. The review of the inland fisheries programme will not be published until the high level review of the inland fisheries sector is completed. Both reviews have been forwarded to the committee.
Three other reviews are under way or about to commence, those on marine research, the national seabed survey and on alternative energy and energy conservation.
|
Report |
Progress |
2004 areas of expenditure to which reports relate. The references for 2004 may not be the same as previous years since sub-heads can be re-categorised from year to year. |
|
Value for money review of the Irish Coast Guard |
This was the first value for money review carried out by the Department under the ERI. The report was made available to stakeholders and to any other interested party or individual. |
B.1. Irish Coast Guard |
|
Value for money review of fishery harbour development expenditure programme, undertaken by Richard Banks Ltd |
Completed and considered by the ERCSC, to which reviews in the 1997-2001 phase were sent. Reviews undertaken in the 2002-2004 phase are sent to an external assessor for consideration rather than to the ERCSC. Analysis and implementation of recommendations is ongoing. Publication on DCMNR’s Internet site is imminent. |
C.2. Development & Upgrading of Harbours for Fishery Purposes; C.3. Fishery Harbour Centres Fund |
|
Value for money review of coast protection programme, undertaken by Fitzpatrick Associates |
Completed and considered by the ERCSC. Analysis and implementation of recommendations is ongoing. Publication on DCMNR’s Internet site is imminent. |
C.4. Coast Protection & Management |
|
Value for money review of the BIM ice plant programme, undertaken by Nautilus |
Completed and considered by the ERCSC. Analysis and implementation of recommendations is ongoing. Publication on DCMNR’s Internet site is imminent. |
E.1. (part) Bord Iascaigh Mhara |
|
Value for money review of the forestry structural programme, undertaken by the CIRCA Group |
Completed and has been sent to the ERCSC. The committee has decided to forward the report to the Secretary General, Department of Agriculture and Food, given the transfer of the forestry function to that Department, 1 January 2004. |
K.6. Sub-head prior to transfer of function to Dept. of Agriculture and Food Grants for Promotion of Forestry |
|
Value for money review of the inland fisheries development programme, undertaken by Indecon Economic Consultants |
Completed and has been sent to the ERCSC. Decision on publication will be taken when the high-level review of the inland fisheries sector is completed. |
F Inland Fisheries |
|
Value for money review of marine research, undertaken in-house |
Currently underway and nearing completion of final draft |
D.1. Marine Institute (Grant-in-Aid); D.2. Salmon Research Agency (Grant-in-Aid) |
|
Value for money review of the alternative-conservation energy programme |
Due to commence summer 2004 |
H.2. Energy Conservation |
|
Value for money review of the national seabed survey |
Due to commence summer 2004 |
D.3. National Seabed Survey |
