As the Deputy will be aware, the Public Service Reform Plan published by the Government on 17th November 2011 outlined a series of rationalisation measures and some of those measures related to a certain number of the bodies funded from my Department's Vote Group. In this regard, my Department conducted a critical examination of the structure and operation of the institutions included in the Public Service Reform Plan and developed a comprehensive and practical approach to the implementation of the various Government Decisions in this area. This was endorsed by the Minister for Public Expenditure. Summary documents which outline the main outcomes of this examination in relation to the relevant bodies and institutions have been published on my Department's web-site.
My Department is working closely with the Directors of the relevant Institutions and bodies to progress the reform programme and real progress is being made across all the bodies concerned. Draft Heads of Bill are currently being prepared to address any possible changes in legislation and are expected to be finalised shortly. However, progress is being made across all bodies on an administrative basis pending enactment of legislation. The Deputy should note that savings of €20 million in enhanced service efficiencies and value-for-money were targeted in the Public Service Reform Plan. In this context, it is expected that savings in the region of approximately €1m will be made initially across the institutions involved in the reform programme which are funded from my Department's Vote Group, with further savings to be identified as the various cost saving measures are implemented.
In the immediate term, savings are being made primarily in three key ways:
One: through the ending of payments to Chairpersons and members of boards or advisory councils;
Two: through a programme of shared services between institutions, including, for example, in retail, security, marketing, procurement and storage; and,
Three: through the provision of services by my Department to some institutions - including human resources services and financial services - relieving those institutions of the need to incur a cost in accessing these services.
