Departmental Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 November 2013

Tuesday, 5 November 2013

Questions (377)

Mary Lou McDonald

Question:

377. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide in tabular form the partial year and the full year monetary effect of his Department's budget 2014 reductions to expenditure. [47082/13]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

As indicated in a previous response PQ 215 of 22 October 2013, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s budget and staffing allocation reflects its strategy of delivering well managed and well-targeted public spending, delivered through modernised, effective and accountable public services. While savings have accrued due to the transfer of certain functions and pay reductions across the group, these are offset due to the significant start-up costs of the shared services and the transfer of maintenance service costs to OPW.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, together with the Shared Services and Office of Government Procurement functions, continues to deliver key outputs set out in the Public Service Reform Plan which was published in November 2011. This investment in the Government’s reform agenda will yield longer term cost savings and facilitate service continuity in a smaller and leaner Public Service. When these centres are fully operational, annual savings targets are estimated as follows:

- Office of Government Procurement - The procurement reform programme is targeting up to €500m of much needed savings for tax payers over the next 3 years;

- Peoplepoint (transactional HR) - €12.5m;

- Payroll Shared Services (transactional payroll and pension services) - €5.6m.

My Department has also collaborated with the Department of Finance to achieve administrative efficiencies within our shared facilities, particularly in the accommodation footprint.

My Department is targeted with driving a very ambitious Public Service Reform Plan, which requires initial investment in order to achieve longer term efficiencies and cost savings. Notwithstanding this, my Department continues to seek savings and, in 2014, we will fund a number of new projects while achieving a 4% reduction in Gross Expenditure. The details on the funding reductions by Programme and Administrative Budget subhead are set out in tabular format in the Budget publication.

-	-	2013 Estimate	-	-	2014 Estimate	-	-	Change 2014 over 2013
		Current	Capital	Total	Current	Capital	Total
Programme Expenditure		€000	€000	€000	€000	€000	€000	%
A - Public Expenditure and Sectoral Policy		20,37		20,375	17,986		17,986	-12%
B - Public Service Management and Reform		20,051	500	20,551	20,784	500	21,284	4%
	Gross Total	40,426	500	40,926	38,770	500	39,270	-4%
C - Appropriations in Aid		5,189		5,189	4,000		4,000	-23%
	Net Total	35,237	500	35,737	34,770	500	35,270	-1%

Costs
Exchequer pay included in above net total	19,882	20,235	2%
Associated public service employees	374	373	-
Exchequer pensions included in above net total	4	4	-
Associated public service pensioners	3	4	33%

Administration	-	2013 Estimate	-	-	2014 Estimate	-	-	Change 2014 over 2013
Functional split of administrative budgets, which are included in the above programme allocations		Current	Capital	Total	Current	Capital	Total
		€000	€000	€000	€000	€000	€000	%
(i) Salaries, wages and allowances		19,220		19,220	18,810	-	18,810	-2%
(ii) Travel and sussitence		157		157	163	-	163	4%
(iii) Training and development and incidental expenses		512		512	516	-	516	1%
(iv) Postal and telecommunications services		314		314	340	-	340	8%
(v) Office equipment and external IT services		669	100	769	485	100	585	-24%
(vi) Office premises expenses		400		400	368		368	-8%
(vii) Consultancy and other services		20		20	50		50	150%
(viii) EU presidency		396		396
	Gross Total	21,688	100	21,788	30,732	100	20,832	-4%