Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 January 2018
198. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on each recommendation (details supplied) as contained in the National Competitiveness Council report, Ireland's Competitiveness Challenge 2017; his plans to implement the policy recommendations which he has statutory remit for; and the timeframe for implementation. [4052/18]
View answerI will first deal with the issue of the International Monetary Fund's Public Investment Management Assessment or PIMA.
The Public Spending Code (the “Code”) published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is the set of rules and procedures that apply to ensure that value for money standards are upheld across the Irish Public Service. It draws together in one location, the long-established elements of value for money arrangements that have been in place over many years.
The objective of the Code is to ensure that the State achieves value for money. The Code applies to both capital and current expenditure and sets out what is required of public service managers at different points of the expenditure life cycle as well as how to fulfil those requirements. The requirements of the Code are based on employing good practices at all stages of the expenditure life cycle.
The IMF PIMA report concluded that, overall, Ireland manages its public infrastructure relatively well. It highlighted both strengths and weaknesses and contained a number of recommendations to improve future performance in terms of the efficiency of public capital investment. The recommendations contained in the PIMA report will be taken into consideration in the context of the review of the Code, which is currently under way. As part of the consultation process, my Department will be engaging with key stakeholders during the year and the review is expected to be completed in 2018.
In terms of meeting the commitments in Innovation 2020 to increase national research and development investment, the position is that responsibility for Innovation 2020 and for funding of R&D in that context is a matter, in the first instance, for my colleague the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation. However, I can inform the Deputy that investment in R&D, along with all of the other areas in which Government allocates capital resources to, for example, sustain and enhance the economy's growth potential and respond to important socio-economic objectives will be dealt with in the forthcoming ten-year capital plan currently being finalised by my Department for consideration by Government.
