Written Answers Nos. 62-69
62. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of persons who have been called to fill clerical officer posts from the panel (details supplied) for counties Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon and Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12302/15]
View answerThe Public Appointments Service (PAS) is an independent, statutory body which provides professional recruitment and selection services to the civil and public service. The PAS advertised a recruitment competition for Clerical Positions in the Civil and Public Service in June 2014 which attracted over 28,000 applications. This competition was held in order to create panels of qualified individuals from which departments and public service bodies could draw when filling sanctioned vacancies.
The establishment of a panel for a location(s) is based on demand as notified to PAS. To date Clerical panels have been created for Dublin and Limerick/Tipperary. Other panels in train are Donegal, Cork, Kerry, Waterford/Wexford and Kildare/Wicklow. Panels for other locations will be created by PAS as and when required by employing Departments and bodies.
63. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding an application for funding submitted by Thurles Municipal District in respect of funding for the Loughmore Drainage Scheme in County Tipperary. [12313/15]
View answerIn 2014, Tipperary County Council submitted an application for funding for flood mitigation works in the Loughmore area under the OPW Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme, which scheme is focussed primarily on protection of dwellings. The application is currently being assessed under the eligibility criteria of the Scheme, which include a requirement that the works must be cost beneficial. The OPW will notify the Council of its decision regarding the application shortly.
64. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which he might be in a position to prioritise and encourage the provision of vital infrastructure, particularly where such provision is vital to economic recovery nationally and regionally; the extent to which public private partnerships or specific Government development bonds, as a means of addressing such issues without impact on the national balance sheet, can be authorised by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12329/15]
View answerIn 2014, my Department undertook a review of the public capital programme. The review sought to assess all areas of public capital investment and to refresh the existing investment strategy and multi-annual envelopes to ensure that they are in line with emerging Government priorities and that our limited resources are focussed on the areas that can best support continued, sustainable and equitable growth.
While investment for economic growth is vital at a time when our economy is in recovery, we must also ensure that this growth is equitable and sustainable. For this reason, the capital allocations published in the Budget included increased investment for social housing, reflecting the Government's prioritisation of investment in this area. They also provided for continued investment in Education, to meet demographic demands in our schools, and in Health to allow the HSE to progress a number of large scale and priority projects.
The Government is committed to using a range of financing methods to deliver important infrastructure, including both Exchequer capital and also off-balance sheet mechanisms such as the extension of the PPP Programme announced in the Budget. PPPs facilitate private sector investment and risk sharing in the provision of specific public infrastructure projects, and because of their funding and risk profile, PPP projects are not included in the calculations of General Government spending. This approach therefore allows the Government to supplement its traditional Exchequer funded capital programme with additional much needed investment across a range of areas without impacting on the GGB in the short term, but with the cost of the projects being borne over a much longer period. However, in relation to Government development bonds, it has not traditionally been the custom to seek to link Exchequer borrowing to specific projects, as this limits the flexibility of the Government in managing the State's finances.
It is my intention to use the forthcoming Capital Review to set out the Government's plans and priorities in relation to capital investment over the period 2015 to 2020, including both projects delivered by direct Exchequer investment and projects to be delivered by PPP.
65. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which his Department can encourage reform or policy initiatives with a view to maximising the potential for economic recovery and development in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12330/15]
View answer66. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to indicate the degree to which he expects public expenditure constraints and reform policies, effective in the context of economic recovery, to be used as a basis for prudent economic development in the future; his plans to implement innovation, in this regard in the future, to maximise economic benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12331/15]
View answer67. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the most effective policies pursued by his Department over the past four years in addressing the economic needs of the country, with a view to identifying the most likely and effective strategy to be followed in terms of public expenditure and reform, and the future economic needs of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12332/15]
View answer68. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which all Government Departments and their subordinate bodies have met the targets set down by his Department, in the context of public expenditure and reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12333/15]
View answer69. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which the Croke Park and Haddington Road agreements have achieved their objectives; the extent to which this is likely to influence policy in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12334/15]
View answer73. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which he expects savings to continue to be made throughout the medium of public procurement in the coming year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12338/15]
View answer74. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which he remains satisfied regarding the adequacy of the budget for each Department to meet its requirements over the next 12 months; if any particular measures are required to address specific issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12339/15]
View answer75. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which the requirements of the Troika, which he inherited from his predecessors, have been met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12340/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 65 to 69, inclusive, and 73 to 75, inclusive, together.
With Ireland subject to an EU-IMF programme this Government faced the challenge of restoring stability to our public finances and creating the correct environment to support sustainable economic growth and job creation. Having successfully exited the Troika programme in December 2013 our fiscal target for 2015 is a General Government Deficit of 2.7% which, when achieved, will ensure Ireland's exit from the Excessive Deficit Procedure.
This Government has made some very difficult but necessary decisions which have resulted in us successfully meeting our targets as a result of the fiscal policy objectives and reforms that have been introduced over the course of the last four years. All Departments have played their part in ensuring the prudent and sustainable management of the public finances, often while meeting increasing demands on the services they deliver.
Public Service Reform has been a key element of the Government's overall strategy for recovery. The reforms delivered over the past four years have enabled us to maintain and improve public services in the face of the necessary reduction in staff numbers and budgets, at a time of increased demand for public services.
A new Public Service Reform Plan was published in January 2014 and sets out the priorities for reform for the period 2014 to 2016. While maintaining an emphasis on efficiency and reducing costs, this Plan puts a particular focus on improved service delivery and achieving better outcomes for service users.
A Progress Report on the Public Service Reform Plan 2014-2016 was published earlier this month. A copy of the report was sent to all Members of the Oireachtas and it is also available at www.reformplan.per.gov.ie. As well as setting out the progress made on reform over the past 12 months, this report also outlines the priorities for the coming year.
The Deputy will also be aware that the Taoiseach and I published a Civil Service Renewal Plan in October last year. The implementation of this ambitious three year plan will lead to very significant changes right across the Civil Service.
Over the last few years, this Government has delivered wide-ranging reforms to the budgetary architecture that have enhanced how we manage the public finances, including the introduction of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework. The multiannual expenditure ceilings provide clarity about the resources available to Departments over a three-year period and facilitate a more strategic approach to resource allocation. The reforms are informed by the core principle that a more open and transparent process, allowing for clearer accountability and oversight, supports the efficient use of public funds to deliver effective services for citizens.
In respect of savings on public procurement, I have been advised that the Procurement Reform Executive is targeting €150m savings in 2015, of which €80m is being targeted by the Office of Government Procurement across the eight spend categories for common goods and services that it manages and the remainder across the eight spend categories managed by the four sector sourcing organisations (Health, Local Government, Education and Defence).
It is important to note that the OGP and the other sourcing organisations can only forecast procurement savings, the realisation of actual savings is a matter for the relevant customer organisations who hold the budgets and make the purchases and payments and must avail of contracts and frameworks put in place by the centralised sourcing organisations.
The Haddington Road Agreement (HRA) underpinned by the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Acts 2009-2013, forms the cornerstone of pay policy in the public service until 2016 when it is due to expire. The Agreement, which contains a number of measures directly affecting the pay of staff, is delivering and is making a significant contribution to the achievement of the Government's fiscal consolidation deficit target. In the period from end 2009 to end 2014, the Exchequer pay cost reduced from a peak of €17.5 billion gross to €13.8 billion net of pension related deduction, a reduction of €3.7 billion or more than 21%.
With the recovery in the economy and the improvement in the fiscal outlook, the Government expenditure allocations for 2015 provide for targeted increases in expenditure to support the delivery of key social and economic objectives. The allocations provided in the Revised Estimates Volume 2015 across Government Departments for 2015, will assist with ensuring the ongoing provision of vital public services at an affordable cost while also serving to further support the nascent but strengthening economic recovery.
