Terence Flanagan
Question:98. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will outline his new public sector reform plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3425/14]
View answerThursday, 23 January 2014
Questions (98)
Written answers
On 14 January, I published the new Public Service Reform Plan 2014-2016 and the Second Progress Report on the previous Reform Plan. I have sent both documents to all members of the Oireachtas.
Just over two years since the Government's first Public Service Reform Plan was published, the new Reform Plan builds on the progress made to-date and sets out an ambitious new phase of reform. In this context, I want to stress that Public Service Reform will remain a key element of the Government s strategic response to our ongoing challenges.
This next phase of reform will continue our focus on cost reduction, but will also focus on better outcomes for service users and on delivering real improvement in how citizens and business customers interact with the Public Service. This will change the way the Public Service designs and provides services and will be delivered through a focus on service users, on efficiency and on openness, underpinned by a strong emphasis on leadership, capability and delivery.
Under the new plan, the reform agenda will be about protecting and improving public services, and over the period of this plan, there will be an emphasis on 'Saving to Invest'. This is about freeing up resources by making existing processes more cost effective and efficient, and using the savings to invest in new or improved services. This Reform Dividend will serve to underpin and help sustain the reform agenda beyond the current fiscal crisis.
As part of our approach to improving outcomes for service users, we will be using alternative models of service delivery, including commissioning for specific outcomes, and focusing on service delivery improvements at sectoral and organisational levels.
We will be taking steps to ensure that the Public Service makes maximum use of digitalisation and open data to deliver services and to manage information in more efficient and innovative ways. A new Government ICT Strategy will be published in the first half of 2014 that will address the use of new and emerging technologies, ensuring that digital services are designed around the needs of service users.
The Government's political reform programme will continue to focus on delivering greater openness, transparency and accountability to strengthen public governance and to re-build public trust in the State. This will include the introduction of lobbying regulation, enactment of a reformed Freedom of Information Act, and enactment of legislation to protect Whistleblowers, as well as active participation in the Open Government Partnership.
These are just some of the areas covered in the new Reform Plan. Overall, there are over 200 actions, each with a clear start date, end date and senior official with responsibility for delivery. Through the implementation of the new Reform Plan, we are aiming to build a new Public Service, one that is focused on improving outcomes for citizens and business customers, and that is efficient and responsive.
The implementation of various productivity measures and workplace changes as provided under the Haddington Road Agreement will be a key enabler for the delivery of this next phase of our ambitious reform agenda, while also delivering a reduction of €1 billion in the Public Service pay and pensions bill by 2016.
An interactive version of the Reform Plan can be seen at: http://reformplan.per.gov.ie/.