Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 July 2020
231. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the degree to which he has identified specific targets for his Department in line with expenditure and reform objectives; the timescale to achieve such objectives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17436/20]
View answer233. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the degree to which he plans to utilise the concept of reform as a means of controlling expenditure within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17438/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 231 and 233 together.
Over the last number of years, a range of reforms have been implemented in order to enhance Ireland’s budgetary framework and ensure that expenditure is managed in an efficient and effective way. The intention of these reforms is to increase transparency around the budgetary process and to facilitate meaningful dialogue around key elements of the Budget and on what is being achieved with public funds.
Central to these reforms is the ‘whole-of-year’ budgetary framework. This refers to an ongoing consideration of budgetary priorities throughout the year, rather than focusing budget discussions only around Budget Day. An important element of this is the publication of a range of documents at key points in the year to enhance engagement on relevant budgetary issues.
Improving and supporting the evaluation capacity within Government Departments has also formed an important part of the reform programme. Supported by the establishment of the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service, this has led to the development of a number of additional processes and reports to support the budgetary framework. This includes:
- Performance Budgeting - A key objective of the Performance Budgeting Initiative is to shift the focus away from the quantum of spend and towards outputs and impacts. The Public Service Performance Report presents performance information in an accessible manner and aims to facilitate discussion around what is being delivered with public funds and how this impacts the citizen.
- Equality Budgeting – Equality budgeting involves providing greater information on the likely impacts of proposed and/or ongoing budgetary measures, which, in turn, enhances the potential to better facilitate the integration of equality concerns into the budgetary process. An OECD "Policy Scan" Report on Equality Budgeting was completed in 2019, and was published on Budget Day in October last, setting out a number of ambitious objectives to progress this aspect of the budgetary reform agenda.
- Spending Review - This process aims to place evidence at the heart of policy making, by systematically examining existing spending programmes with a view to assessing their efficiency and effectiveness. This approach can support the re-allocation of funding to meet expenditure priorities.
The Programme for Government commits to continuing reform and improvement of the Budgetary process and proposes that each Minister will be required to produce service improvement and reform plans in conjunction with my Department, within an overall context of an enhanced focus across Government on issues of well-being. In implementing this reform, my Department will look to build on the budgetary reforms already in place and the significant work on public service reform already completed.
