Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2004
584 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs 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. [17583/04]
View answer585 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs 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. [17598/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 584 and 585 together.
As the Deputy is aware, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs was established 2002, bringing together a range of functions previously held by six different Government Departments.
While the initial target of the expenditure review initiative was to cover all expenditure programmes over a three year period, I understand that a review of the process by the Department of Finance/expenditure review central steering committee in 2000-01 found that this target had been over-ambitious. In June 2001 the Government decided that the Department of Finance and individual Departments/offices should compile and agree a work plan of review topics based on specific selection criteria (i.e. Government priorities, strategic result areas, significant levels of expenditure, etc.).
In May 2002, the Government approved a schedule of expenditure review topics for the three-year planning horizon (2002-04). Subsequently, in April 2003 the expenditure review central steering committee asked Departments to update their expenditure review plans, in consultation with the Department of Finance, placing the emphasis on a small number of programmes/areas involving major policy issues or significant levels of expenditure.
My Department is progressing with the programme of reviews agreed with the expenditure review central steering committee. In line with the agreed programme, reviews of scéimanna feabhsúcháin sa Ghaeltacht and the local drugs task forces are ongoing and scheduled for completion later this year. A further two reviews are envisaged for na hoileáin and ciste na Gaeilge in 2005 and my Department will continue to liaise with the expenditure review central steering committee in relation to the future development of the review programme.
I also wish to advise the Deputy that a number of reviews of areas now under the remit of my Department were carried out under the aegis of the former Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands. These were as follows: review of canal expenditure — completed in November 1998; review of deontais faoi Achtanna na dTithe (Gaeltacht) 1929-1979 — completed in November 1998; and review of Údarás na Gaeltachta — completed in October 2000.
