Written Answers Nos 1-32
6. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to tackle the increasing age profile across the civil and public services; his plans to take steps to encourage skilled public servants who have emigrated to return here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38163/14]
View answerI share the Deputy's concern regarding the age profile of the civil and public service. As much as any organisation, it is important to seek to ensure that the demographic profile of staff working in the public sector is appropriately balanced. Unfortunately, the severe restrictions it has been necessary to apply to recruitment into the civil and public service on account of the impact of the economic and budgetary crisis, have contributed to an ageing public sector workforce. As this situation reflects developments over a number of years, it is clearly not susceptible to immediate solutions. Moreover, as the Deputy will be aware there are important legal and regulatory requirements that preclude discrimination on the basis of age in civil and public service recruitment. For example, recruitment to the civil service takes place under the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004. The Act sets out that recruitment competitions be run under the Codes of Practice published by the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA). The Codes set out that recruitment processes be conducted in manner which is fair, open and merit based. Consequently, it is not possible under the CPSA Codes to restrict a candidate's access to a competition on the basis of age.
I believe the key to addressing this issue lies in the further development of the workforce planning process included in the Government's Public Service Reform Plan 2014-2016 by providing robust evidence on future staffing requirements. The key principle of workforce planning is having the right number of people with the right skills in the right jobs at the right time. It requires organisations to focus on the range of skills they need to deliver on their objectives and to identify emerging skills gaps, whether arising from staff turnover or from changes in the external environment which may require new skillsets. Workforce planning, therefore, assists public bodies to identify the number of staff and the skills and experience required and provides the basis on which planned and structured recruitment campaigns can be initiated which are likely to help re-balance over time the age profile across the public service.
Recruitment competitions are open to all qualified candidates, including those previous public servants who have emigrated. The Deputy may be aware that the Public Appointments Service does seek in advertising recruitment opportunities to ensure that the information is available and the recruitment process is accessible to qualified candidates whether they are residing in Ireland or elsewhere.
10. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the Departments most seriously threatened by budgetary overruns in the course of the past three and a half years; if these Departments will operate within their respective budgets in the coming year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38167/14]
View answerGross voted expenditure has been reduced from its peak of €63.1 billion in 2009 to €54.5 billion in 2013. This represents a reduction of approximately 13½ per cent between 2009 and 2013. The gross voted expenditure allocation for 2014 is €53 billion.
Managing the delivery of public services within its Budgetary allocation is a key responsibility of each Minister and Department, and several measures are in place to help ensure that these budgetary targets continue to be met. My Department is in regular communication with all Departments and Offices to ensure that expenditure is being managed effectively. We monitor their drawdown of funds from the Exchequer against the published expenditure profiles with information published monthly as part of the Exchequer Statement.
In recent years, there have been a number of cases in which Government Departments have required supplementary estimates. Much of the expenditure overruns, that resulted in these supplementary estimates, were due to the exposure of certain areas to the economic cycle and expenditure pressures arising across a number of Government Departments due to increased demands for services. For example, in periods where the numbers on the Live Register were increasing, this had the effect of both increasing expenditure on Jobseeker's payments, while also increasing the numbers of citizens eligible for a Medical Card.
In the coming year, as the Government looks to bring the deficit below 3 per cent of GDP in 2015, there is an ongoing requirement to ensure that Departmental expenditure is managed to meet this key fiscal policy objective. As such, the prioritisation of resources and effective management of expenditure within allocations will continue to be a key responsibility of all Ministers and their Departments.
14. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department has sought tenders for the review of the environmental impact assessment and environmental impact statement of the River Clare drainage scheme in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38171/14]
View answerStatutory Instruments No. 469 and 470 of 2012 give effect in Irish law to EU Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment. As the Consent Authority for flood alleviation schemes under Section 7 of the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945 – 1995, the Regulations require the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to:-
(A) carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment of drainage or flood relief schemes prior to Confirmation or approval of the proposed schemes
(B) Publicise his decision to Confirm or refuse to Confirm a proposed drainage scheme, inform the Commissioners and the public of the decision and to provide for a process for appeal/review of the decision and inform the public of this process
The Clare River (Claregalway) Drainage Scheme was submitted to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) for Ministerial Confirmation on 2nd November 2013. In accordance with normal procedure, the scheme documentation submitted to DPER included an Environmental Impact Statement which is a consultants report of the environmental impacts of the works and the OPW's proposals to mitigate these impacts as far as possible.
The Claregalway scheme is the first flood relief scheme submitted for Confirmation following the coming into effect of the 2012 Regulations and DPER needed to fully consider the implications for the Confirmation process of the new Regulations.
Consultations took place with the Attorney General's Office in order to get clarification on how the new Regulations should be interpreted and implemented in the context of the Confirmation process for drainage schemes under the Arterial Drainage Acts.
Based on advice received from the Attorney General's Office, DPER is in the process of engaging experts to carry out an independent review as part of the assessment of the Environmental Impact Statement of the Claregalway scheme that was submitted by the OPW. The tender process is nearing completion and DPER expects to be in a position to place a contract shortly.
Pending the outcome of the expert's review and the conclusion of the required public notification process, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is not in a position to confirm the Claregalway scheme. It is not possible therefore at this point to say when the scheme can proceed to Construction.
However, I am confident that the proposed works will be found to be environmentally acceptable and therefore that the scheme can be confirmed by the Minister and proceed without too much further delay. I would like to assure the House that I and the OPW remain committed to ensuring that the scheme will be completed as soon as possible. The OPW has provided for the cost of the works in its profiles of capital expenditure to 2016.
15. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to proceed with the proposal to impose a statutory duty on bodies established by or under statute, or with a majority ownership or funding by the State, to submit to the same parliamentary questions regime as applies to Departments, including an obligation to provide answers to written questions within a specified number of Dáil Éireann sitting days; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38161/14]
View answerThis proposal is part of the Government's political reform programme outlined in the Programme for Government. My Department has, in the context of its examination of this issue, had some initial discussions with the Houses of the Oireachtas on the operational issues in relation to this commitment, and the possible approaches that may be taken to its efficient implementation.
The Deputy will note that the proposed creation of a statutory duty on public bodies does give rise to some significant legislative issues requiring careful consideration, including in relation to the alignment and consistency of such an approach with existing accountability requirements included in the governing legislation for public bodies.
In relation to the Parliamentary Question regime generally, significant progress has already been made to improve the effectiveness of the parliamentary question system.
This is in addition to political reforms such as increasing Dáil sitting time, Friday sittings for Committee reports and Private Members Bills, opening-up of the pre-legislative process, restricting the use of the Guillotine, and enhancing debate of topical issues.
In addition, the new Freedom of Information Bill 2013 which has completed its passage through the Houses of the Oireachtas extends its remit to all public bodies, as well as to non-public bodies in receipt of significant funding by the Exchequer by way of Ministerial Order. This will result in a number of long-established high profile exclusions from FOI being brought under the scope of the legislation.
Issues of strengthening accountability and performance, particularly within the Civil Service, are also key themes in the Civil Service Renewal Process. The outcome of this process is currently being finalised and I hope to be in a position to seek Government agreement to the Civil Service Renewal Plan over the coming weeks.
16. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will consider reforming the process of appointment for ministerial private secretaries to have more transparency in the appointments or to have it overseen by the Commissioners for Public Service Appointments or the Public Appointments Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38010/14]
View answerI am satisfied that there is appropriate transparency in the appointment of the posts referred to in the Deputy's question. The Department of the Public Service Circular 6/1984 - Private Secretaries and Confidential Clerical Assistants sets out instructions concerning private secretaries and confidential clerical assistants. The circular provides that the persons selected to act as Private Secretary should be drawn from the grades of Executive Officer, Higher Executive Officer or Administrative Officer in the Civil Service.
It is my understanding that most, if not all, officials appointed as Private Secretary to a Minister are appointed by way of a lateral transfer of a serving civil servant within the Minister's Department.
17. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on his Department’s consultations and meetings with the Department of Health in the preparation of budget 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38189/14]
View answerMy Department is engaged in intensive discussions with the Department of Health and HSE officials regarding Budget 2015 and the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure as part of the 2015 Budget and Estimates process.
As part of the ongoing Comprehensive Review of Expenditure due to be published on Budget day, all Government Departments have been asked to review their spending and to identify measures that will support achieving our fiscal objective. The CRE is framed in the context of the 2015 expenditure ceilings that were published in Expenditure Report 2014. Within this context, the recent welcome developments on the fiscal front will allow the Government some space to make decisions to address certain pressures and priorities.
Final decisions in relation to the Budget will reflect updated information on key economic indicators and receipts from taxation.
Government policy on Budget 2015 will be announced on Budget Day 14th of October 2014.
18. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to provide to the Comptroller and Auditor General additional powers needed to carry out value-for-money audits of State programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38164/14]
View answerThe Programme for Government committed to giving the Comptroller and Auditor General extra powers to carry out value-for-money (VFM) audits of State programmes. This commitment for enhanced powers for the Comptroller and Auditor General is being progressed as part of the wider public service reform agenda.
Any consideration of the role of the Comptroller and Auditor General must take account of initiatives for the management and reporting of public expenditure. This includes, for example, as part of the annual estimates process, the introduction and development of performance budgeting; developments at EU level regarding the introduction of common standards for the accounts of public bodies; and, as part of a joint initiative with the Department of Finance, in which the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General is participating, consideration of enhanced fiscal transparency measures. Other related and significant developments include civil service accountability and performance.
The strengthening of accountability systems requires a clear sighted examination of the forms and structures of accountability that best support the broader agenda of public service reform and its core objective of high quality and more efficient provision of public services. This wider accountability framework includes the work of the Comptroller and Auditor General in terms of both financial auditing and value for money reports.
The Programme for Government commitments and associated reform proposals, including those relating to the Comptroller and Auditor General, focus on enhancing performance and accountability arrangements so that the public service can be empowered to be more effective and to demonstrate that well informed choices are being made as to how public money is spent.
19. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of contracts of indefinite duration that have been sought and the number that have been granted in the years 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014 in the public sector under the remit of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38261/14]
View answerOn a general point, the Deputy is probably aware that a contract of indefinite duration (CID) is similar to a permanent contract and can arise by operation of law under the Protection of Employees (Fixed Term Work) Act 2003. Under the provisions of this Act, if an employee is employed on two or more successive fixed term contracts in continuous employment for a period of four years then extending that contract for a further fixed term is unlawful (unless the employer can justify the award of a further fixed term contract on objective grounds), and the employee is entitled to a contract of indefinite duration.
It is a matter for Human Resource Units in all Departments/Agencies etc. to have procedures in place for dealing with the recruitment and employment of fixed-term employees and the management of their contracts. My Department issues Guidelines on "Best Practice for the Recruitment and Management of Fixed-term Employees in the Irish Civil Service". These are revised from time to time as required. The most recent version issued in April 2014 and took account of changes arising as result of the Single Pension Scheme and the Haddington Road Agreement. The Guidelines can be found on my Department's HR Management website at http://hr.per.gov.ie/recruitment-policy/
The position in relation to my own Department and those Offices under its aegis is as follows:
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
My Department was established in July 2011 and in the period since then there has only been one request for a contract of indefinite duration. This was refused on the grounds that the person concerned did not qualify for such a contract.
Office of Public Works
The Office of Public Works received requests for contracts of indefinite duration from three of its State Industrial Employees and all three were granted CIDs
Valuation Office
The Valuation Office issued two contracts of indefinite duration to cleaning staff since 2007.
20. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on a direct labour public works scheme for infrastructure projects; if he will report on plans for future public private partnerships and other such collaboration with the private sector in delivering public services and infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38260/14]
View answerMy Department is currently undertaking a review of the public capital programme, in parallel with the comprehensive review of expenditure, which will culminate in the publication of the Government's five year investment strategy on Budget day. The focus of the Framework will be on infrastructural investment that can aid economic growth and address urgent social requirements. While this is the primary purpose of public capital infrastructure investment, the positive employment impact in the shorter term during the infrastructure delivery or construction period is also a notable benefit.
A 2009 survey, carried out by the Department of Finance, found that the labour intensity of capital projects generally falls within the range of 8 to 12 jobs for every €1 million invested. While this estimate for labour intensity is used as a general rule of thumb, it is important to note that the amount of employment generated by capital expenditure depends on how that expenditure is invested. For example, the purchase of new rail rolling stock would typically generate little direct employment in Ireland as such stock is generally produced abroad. Furthermore, different types of public construction project have different levels of labour intensity. Smaller scale projects such as school building and repair, or smaller local and regional road-works, tend to be more labour intensive than major national infrastructural projects.
As part of the capital review process, my Department has revisited the 2009 Department of Finance work in this area and updated the analysis. The results of that piece of work will be published on my Department's website in the coming weeks.
In July 2012, I announced a new Government Stimulus Initiative amounting to a package of €2.25 billion aimed at leveraging funding to support a new PPP programme of projects in key areas of infrastructure across the Education, Health, Justice and Transport sectors. This is a significant construction programme and the projects are of the construction type that promote employment.
All of the projects have been issued to market. Construction has started on the N17/18 Gort to Tuam route and financial close is targeted for the remainder of the programme at varying dates during 2015. Construction commencement will follow shortly thereafter.
The National Development Finance Agency Act, 2002 provides that all Government Departments and Agencies must seek the advice of the NDFA on the best financing approach, traditional or Public Private Partnership, before undertaking a capital project. This requirement applies to all projects that have a capital value over €20 million.
Officials in my Department keep under regular review possible opportunities for further investment in PPP projects in a sustainable affordable manner.
21. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in view of the extensive annual financial commitment across Departments on the storage of records and archive material at various sites and the extensive associate retrieval costs, the savings to the Exchequer that could be made by moving toward a more streamlined storage service and by the employment of archivists; the work being undertaken within the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer on digital preservation of records in Departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38282/14]
View answerThe Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) is currently undertaking a joint project within my department and the Department of Finance to develop a system that would allow records to be stored electronically.
A potential outcome from that project is the development of a standard that could be adopted by other departments and public bodies, which are also subject to the National Archives Act. Any potential savings from storing records electronically would have to be explored and realised by the bodies subject to the Act, in partnership with the National Archives.
22. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the actions he has taken on foot of the recently published Comptroller and Auditor General report to ensure expenditure occurs in the best interests of the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38158/14]
View answerThe focus of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is on well-managed and well-targeted public spending, through modernised, effective and accountable public services. The recently published Comptroller and Auditor General Report on the 'Accounts of the Public Service 2013' is part of the wider accountability framework for the delivery of these services.
The report in question is concerned with the accountability of departments and offices in respect of their administration of public funds. As outlined by the Comptroller and Auditor General, it was prepared on the basis of audited information, where available, and other information, documentation and explanations obtained from the relevant government departments and offices. Drafts of relevant parts of the Report were sent to the departments and offices concerned and their comments were requested. Where appropriate, those comments are incorporated into the Report. As such, the Report itself contains information on the actions being taken across the relevant Departments on foot of the recommendations of the Comptroller and Auditor General. In this context, the majority of the recommendations made by the Comptroller and Auditor General have been agreed by the relevant Accounting Officers and indeed, where appropriate, by my own Department.
In due course, the Committee of Public Accounts will examine and report to Dáil Éireann on this Report and my Department will prepare a formal response to the recommendations, (the 'Minute of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform') in consultation with the departments and offices concerned.
23. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will lift the public sector recruitment embargo in order to secure the effective delivery of necessary public services. [38169/14]
View answerAs I have previously advised the House, there is no embargo on recruitment in the Public Service. To safeguard frontline and priority services, the Government has allowed for critical posts to be filled throughout the period of reduction of public service numbers. In addition to this ongoing recruitment, special provision was made in last October's Budget for the recruitment into key front line sectors, including more than 900 extra resource teachers for the school system. Public service numbers have actually increased this year compared with last year.
The ongoing objective of the Government will be to ensure that we have an efficient and effective Public Service for the future, and one that is also affordable and sustainable. This is why resource needs over the medium term have been examined as part of the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure, the outcome of which will help inform Budget decisions and measures to be announced next week.
24. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which public expenditure reductions and reform throughout the public service have brought spending into line with income over the past three and a half year; if he foresees any room for manoeuvre in 2015 under any heading having regard to the success of the measures taken to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38166/14]
View answerGross voted expenditure has been reduced from its peak of €63.1 billion in 2009 to €54.5 billion in 2013. This represents a reduction of approximately 13½ per cent between 2009 and 2013. The gross voted expenditure allocation for 2014 is €53 billion.
The implementation of these expenditure adjustments has contributed towards a radical improvement in the sustainability of the public finances. This has been delivered through the efforts of all Departments and their agencies to seek savings, pursue efficiencies, and manage within constrained budgets, often while meeting increasing demands for the public services they deliver. In this respect the Public Service Reform Plan has been an essential part of the Government's approach in addressing the challenges posed by reduced resources. The Reform Plan requires a refocus on business processes and adjustments to the way all public bodies use available resources. It promotes changes to the way individual public servants go about their daily work and greater flexibility in the way services are provided, for example with greater use of technology and shared services. With the establishment of the Office of Government Procurement, reform in the area of procurement is focussed on delivering better value for the tax-payer by centralising procurement expertise, driving further professionalisation of the function and reducing risk for the State.
The Government's overarching fiscal policy objective for 2015 continues to be delivering a budget deficit below 3% of GDP. Given the improved fiscal and economic outlook, and the ongoing expenditure restraint, it is expected that the budgetary objective of a deficit of less than 3% of GDP can be achieved with a broadly neutral budget.
25. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the progress made to date by the social clauses project group he established in June 2014. [38186/14]
View answerSocial clauses in contracts place obligations on suppliers to perform actions focussed on broader policy considerations. They can be used in public procurement in cases where they are targeted at factoring into the procurement process consideration of social issues such as employment opportunities, equal opportunities and social inclusion. In order to be compatible with EU law, they must be made known to all interested parties at tender stage and must not restrict participation by contractors from other Member States.
On 9 June I announced the establishment of a Social Clauses Project Group to be led by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) to pro-actively look at projects with a view to including social clauses to ensure those awarded contracts contribute to employment or training opportunities for long term unemployed.
Specific projects that are currently in planning and are deemed potentially suitable for the inclusion of employment opportunities and social inclusion will be identified and targeted to maximise the potential opportunities from these projects.
The Project group has the following functions:
- Departments with responsibility for employment and training will identify the important social considerations and actively assist the procuring bodies and successful tenderers through the provision of training and accreditation,
- the OGP will assist departments/agencies in the design of the social clause most suited to the specific contract,
- the procuring body will monitor the impact of the social clause(s),
- the OGP will collate this information.
I have asked the Office of Government Procurement to review this approach after 12 months and then to issue guidance. The objective is to learn from the practical experience of the pilot projects, as well as from the experience of other jurisdictions, in order to develop a robust social procurement framework that is effective.
To date the Social Clauses Group has met twice; on 10 July and 11 September. A range of priority areas to be addressed by the inclusion of social clauses in public contracts have been identified including assisting the long-term unemployed, training and apprenticeships. These priority areas have been forwarded to the relevant procurement sectors with a view to identifying potential projects where social clauses can be usefully inserted.
26. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views that the number of State contracts that are awarded to companies outside the State is above the European average; the way this can be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38162/14]
View answerUnder EU and national rules, the public procurement of works, supplies and service contracts above certain thresholds must be awarded on the basis of objective and non-restrictive criteria. The aim of these European rules is to promote an open, competitive and non-discriminatory public procurement regime which delivers best value for money. It would be a breach of the rules for a public body to favour or discriminate against particular bidders on grounds of nationality and there are legal remedies which may be used against any public body infringing these rules.
The Office of Government Procurement produces statistical information in relation to above-EU threshold procurement activity by the Irish public sector and for providing these statistics to the European Commission. The EU average for cross-border activity in relation to activity above these thresholds is 1.4%. The following is based on data available on above EU threshold awards.
In 2011, the value of contracts that were awarded above this threshold to non-domestic companies was €240 million. This represents less than 5% of the overall 2011 annual public procurement spend (approximately €13.1 billion). I am advised by the Office of Government Procurement that more up to date data on above EU threshold contracts for 2012 and 2013 will be available shortly.
The reasons for this level of cross-border procurement would include:
- a significant number of procurement categories are not supplied locally (i.e. fuel, vehicles, aircraft, heavy machinery and certain pharmaceuticals); and,
- that the vast majority of public procurement opportunities in Ireland are advertised in English which makes our tender documents accessible to businesses across Europe, for whom English is the preferred second language;
The reform of public procurement across the public service is on-going and will continue to provide opportunities to the SME sector to win business. My Department continues to introduce changes to assist SME's in competing for government contracts. In April 2014, I introduced Circular 10/14 which provided guidance to contracting authorities on measures to reduce barriers for SME's in tendering for public contracts. In addition, the Office of Government Procurement continues to engage with industry bodies through the SME Working Group to identify issues in public procurement and implement solutions.
The public procurement market in the EU is estimated to be valued in excess of €2.4 trillion. It is important to remember that open tendering is a two way street and that it provides Irish companies with opportunities to compete abroad and reliable EU studies indicate that many Irish businesses are successful in this regard.
27. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his policy regarding public expenditure on, or his plans to further regulate Government-funded use of, private consultants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38185/14]
View answerAll public bodies are already required under guidelines for the engagement of consultants to ensure that:
- a firm business case is properly established prior to the engagement process;
- consultancy services are acquired in the most economical manner in accordance with national and EU rules on procurement, specifically that consultants are appointed in an open, competitive and non-discriminatory manner that delivers best value for money;
- consultancies are managed effectively once engaged; and
- the output and impact of consultancies are adequately assessed.
The policy, therefore, on expenditure on consultancy services is quite firm: it must result in value for money for the public.
28. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of persons employed by his Department to collect data on public procurement; their level of remuneration; and when the Government will begin publishing the awarding of contracts in the future. [38012/14]
View answerOne of the key priorities set out in the Public Service Reform Plan is to reduce costs and achieve better value for money through reform of public procurement. The Office of Government Procurement (OGP) was launched in July 2013 and operates as an office of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The OGP is responsible for procurement policy and procedures and together with the four key Sectors of Health, Education, Local Government and Defence will source goods and service for the whole of the public sector. A key enabler to the success of this project is the ability to centrally collect and analyse historical, current and future spend (non-pay) data from all Public Service bodies and extract and analyse other procurement data from various systems to generate intelligent reports to help drive procurement strategy and reform. The IT system that will enable this data collection and reporting is called a Business Intelligence system.
This data collection project is currently managed by one Product Manager who is responsible for delivering this Business Intelligence system and one Data Analyst who assists with the data collection and performs analysis of the procurement data. OGP are currently recruiting for a second data analyst and a system administrator for the business intelligence solution. The Data Analysts and the System Administrator are at the EO grade (€40,760 mid-point of the pay scale) and the Product Manager is at HEO grade (€51,581 mid-point of the pay scale). The Product Manager's time on the project is planned reduce to approx. 50% from Q2 2015. In addition, the Office has also engaged the services of an IT contractor to assist in the development of the interim solution and processes for data collection. This engagement is for a period of 8 weeks.
The manual data collection phase of the project commenced at the start of this year. Approximately 55% of non-pay addressable spend (excluding drugs, capital expenditure etc.) estimated at approximately €6.5 bn in total has been collected so far for 2011-2013. To date an interim solution developed by the OGP which is largely manual has been used. OGP is planning to go to market for an enterprise Business Intelligence solution which will improve efficiency and permit a broader scope of data sources for this initiative.
There is a requirement on all Public Sector bodies to publish contract award notices above EU thresholds on the e-Tenders website and on Official Journal of the European Union. The OGP has reported on data available on e-Tenders for above threshold contracts awarded on many occasions. Circular 10/14 requires the use of eTenders for publication of all tenders above €25,000 for goods and services and €50,000 for works. The Circular also requires entry of the contract award details into eTenders with effect from 1 August 2014. This requirement will expand the award detail information available for reports for tenders published post-1 August and the OGP will collect that information from e-Tenders into the Business Intelligence solution and generate reports once sufficient data is available.
It is anticipated that quarterly reports will be published on procurement, i.e. on frameworks and contracts awarded above €25,000.
31. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if a person in receipt of jobseeker's allowance at a reduced rate of €170 per week starts working one day per week and receives €93 and is reduced to €108 on jobseeker's payment, if this is correct; the way the calculation is done; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38583/14]
View answerAccording to the records of this Departmental the earnings for the person concerned is recorded as €135.00 per week which, when the means test is applied, results in a weekly payment of €108.80. It is open to the person concerned to contact their local office to request a review of their claim and to provide updated documentation with regarding their income.
32. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an appeal against the refusal of a domiciliary care allowance in respect of a person (details supplied); if same will be expedited as the person is under considerable financial pressure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38585/14]
View answerAn application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on 11 February 2014. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors who did not consider that the child met the medical criteria for the allowance. A letter issued on the 9 May 2014 outlining the decision of the deciding officer to refuse the allowance.
A review of this decision was requested on 28 May 2014 and additional information on this child’s condition/care needs was supplied. The application together with the new information supplied was examined by another medical assessor who did not consider that the child met the medical criteria for the allowance. A letter issued on 1 September 2014 outlining the decision of the deciding officer that a revised decision under section 301 of the Social Welfare Consolidation act 2005 was not warranted and giving the applicant the option of appealing the decision. To date, the person concerned has not lodged an appeal against this decision.
