Written Answers Nos. 235-254
235. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance the way in which his Department and agencies under his remit are working towards enabling access to employment for persons from minority and or disadvantaged communities, including, but not limited to, persons with disabilities, persons from ethnic minorities, Travellers, Mincéirí; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32739/21]
View answerEach year since 2015, my Department has satisfied the target of employing 3% of staff with disabilities and is committed to achieving the revised target of 6% by 2024. The Department’s Disability Liaison Officer works closely with the National Disability Authority to ensure that it is fully compliant with its obligations under the Disability Act 2005. My Department has held awareness presentations on Autism and Dyslexia in the Workplace and has recently rolled out Diversity 3.0 Workshops to all staff. Recruitment to my Department from outside of the Civil Service is conducted through the Public Appointments Service. Where my Department recruits internally or through the Civil Service Mobility scheme, this is conducted in accordance with the Commission for Public Service Appointments Code of Practice.
Regarding the bodies under the aegis of my Department, it should be noted that not all of the bodies have employees. The position in relation to those bodies which have direct employees is set out below.
The Central Bank of Ireland has a Diversity and Inclusion Policy Statement and Action Plan in place. The Bank has a number of partnerships and programmes aimed at attracting and hiring diverse talent. It has a partnership with the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability (AHEAD) and participates in their ‘Willing and Able Mentoring’ (WAM) Programme which promotes access to the labour market for graduates with disabilities and builds the capacity of employers to integrate disability into the mainstream workplace. The Bank has engaged with the National Council for the Blind Ireland to facilitate work placements and conduct mock interviews. The Central Bank provides reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process to support candidates with disabilities and this is communicated to all job applicants. Training and supports are in place for staff participating in the recruitment/interview process to ensure that a consistent, fair and inclusive experience is maintained. The Bank has established an internal Docklands Inclusion Group which supports and enables employment in the Dublin's Docklands community. Some of the initiatives run by the group include participation in the North East Inner City Transition Year Work Placement and Flash Mentoring Programme; engagement with the local community on their Bridging the Gap and Scholarship programmes; and Career LEAP (a work-readiness programme for young adults based in Dublin's Docklands/North Inner City who are not in education, employment or training). The Bank has hosted the Docklands Careers Fair aimed at supporting and enabling employment for the local Docklands community. The Bank recently launched a new Gender Identity and Expression in the Workplace Policy which was published and communicated externally. The Bank is enhancing its focus on ethnic and cultural diversity and supported the creation of a new employee-led Cultural Diversity Network last year. The Central Bank provides staffing to the Investor Compensation Company DAC which is also a body under the aegis of my Department.
The Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) operates its recruitment campaigns in compliance with the Codes of Practice for Appointment to Positions in the Civil Service and Public Service and is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for prospective candidates. The FSPO encourages applications under all nine grounds of the Employment Equality Acts and offers reasonable accommodation to current and prospective employees with disabilities. A staff census undertaken in 2020 indicated that, at 8.23%, the FSPO exceeded the minimum requirement set out in the Disability Act 2005 in relation to the level of employment of people with disabilities. The FSPO continues to enhance practices in this area and has emphasised the requirement to achieve an inclusive and diverse workplace over the course of the next strategic period.
The National Treasury Management Agency’s (NTMA) Inclusion & Diversity networks are organised by communities of colleagues who work together to drive their progress in these areas. The NTMA partners with specialist recruiters, and attends specialist recruitment fairs. It also partners with external organisations to promote the employment of people from underrepresented minorities such as ShoutOut, Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities (TCPID), AHEAD, Specialisterne, Down Syndrome Ireland, NCBI and Open Doors, who create pathways to work through training, education and employment for refugee, asylum seekers and non-native English speakers, young people under 25 with educational barriers, people with a disability and members of the travelling community. The NTMA was awarded a WAM Leadership Award for promoting the employment of graduates with a disability in 2020. Their Disability Awareness Team (DAT) works with business units to recruit roles for persons with a disability. Candidates recruited through DAT are assigned a mentor. In relation to gender balance, the NTMA works with recruitment partners to identify 30% representation of each gender for shortlists. Recruitment advertisements are entered into a job description decoder which ensures gender neutral language, the NTMA fields mixed interview panels and has a flexible working framework. The NTMA provides staffing for Home Building Finance Ireland, the National Asset Management Agency and the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland which are also bodies under the aegis of my Department.
The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (OCAG) advertises all vacancies on its website. The website is enabled with software, ‘Recite me’, which reads the site, translates and/or increases the size of the text to provide information to visually or audibly impaired persons who may wish to apply for vacancies. Currently just under 8% of staff have self-declared a disability. Two apprentices from Accounting Technicians Ireland commenced with OCAG in early 2021 on a two year apprenticeship programme. OCAG plans to engage transition year students as part of the NEIC Initiative as part of the 2021 or 2022 work placement cycle and has recently decided to review the possibility of engagement with the Oireachtas Work Learning (OWL) and WAM programmes. The OWL programme is an unpaid learning and development programme for young adults with an intellectual disability.
I am advised by Revenue that, as an equal opportunities employer, their competitions for employment are organised in accordance with the Code of Practice 'Appointment to Positions in the Civil Service and Public Service' published by the Commissioners for Public Service Appointments (CPSA). In line with the CPSA Code of Practice, appointments to Revenue are carried out through fair, transparent and merit-based selection processes, are made on the basis of the ability to carry out the responsibilities of the grade or post and where necessary, on the basis of qualifications also. Applicants with disabilities are accommodated and supported throughout the recruitment processes. Additionally, where necessary, Revenue is committed to providing workplace accommodations on an individual basis, including assistive technology and office equipment to staff with disabilities. The majority of Revenue offices countrywide are adapted for use by staff with physical disabilities. Furthermore, Revenue offers paid internships for persons with disabilities such as the Specialisterne Ireland and the AHEAD WAM Programmes. In recognition of its contribution to the WAM programme, Revenue received a ‘Leader’ award at the Building for the Future/WAM Awards in 2017 and continues to actively participate in this initiative. Revenue offers apprenticeships in the areas of Accounting Technician and Information Communication and Technology. Following successful completion of these, candidates are afforded an opportunity to secure full-time permanent positions. Finally, in line with Revenue’s mission to ensure an accessible, respectful, and fair environment for its staff, Revenue conducted a staff survey in May 2021 which included the collection of information on the diverse composition of their workforce. Responses from this survey will enable Revenue to better understand, anticipate and respond to the needs of its staff.
The Tax Appeals Commission conducts its recruitment campaigns through the Government’s Public Appointments Service. Any request for staff does not differentiate between persons from minority or disadvantaged communities.
Finally, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council is an equal opportunities employer which is committed to selection on merit.
236. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of positions remaining unfilled by clerical officer, executive officer and higher executive officer level in the Civil Service in County Waterford; if his attention has been drawn to the impediment to the swift filling of these positions in County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32555/21]
View answer243. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of unfilled positions in the civil service in Waterford; the number of positions available at each grade from competition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32599/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 236 and 243 together.
It is a key responsibility of each Minister and Government Department to manage expenditure within the agreed allocations. In order to provide enhanced scope for Departments and Offices to manage staffing levels and composition within their allocated financial resources, a policy of delegated sanction was introduced by Government in 2015 in relation to staff management, including recruitment.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Public Appointments Service (PAS) is the principal recruiter for appointments to the civil service. All recruitment is demand-led and PAS undertakes competitions on behalf of the civil service to establish recruitment panels that may be drawn upon as general service vacancies arise in Government Departments or Offices across the country. Individual recruitment campaigns may be undertaken for more specialised professional or technical posts as the need arises.
As set out in the table below, PAS has confirmed that it presently has 15 requests on hand from Government Departments or Offices to fill civil service vacancies in the Waterford region:
|
Grade |
No. of vacant posts being filled by PAS at present |
|
Temporary Clerical Officer |
2 |
|
Clerical Officer |
11 |
|
Executive Officer |
1 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
1 |
9 of the Clerical Officer posts related to a bulk intake request that PAS has recently received from Revenue. Of the 15 requests on hand, 13 were received by PAS this month.
The timeframe to fill some roles may be impacted in a number of ways. This can include, for example, specific conditions to be satisfied during candidate clearance including Garda Vetting in instances where individuals have lived overseas, where there are delays in candidates providing supporting documentation or if candidates withdraw from a competition in the final stages of the recruitment process.
237. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will examine the matter of pay for public defender barristers who currently due to cuts from 2008 to 2011, are paid in line with rates set in 2002 whilst State solicitors who work on the same cases are paid at rate fixed as a result of pay restoration in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32878/21]
View answer247. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the current situation of and plans for the implementation of pay restoration for criminal barristers similar to that already implemented for State solicitors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32659/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 237 and 247 together.
I fully acknowledge and appreciate the very important work undertaken by barristers who prosecute criminal work on behalf of the State and my Department has engaged constructively with key stakeholders including the Bar Council of Ireland, the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions and the Department of Justice in relation to this matter. In particular it has sought evidence to support any claims that the reductions imposed are linked to significant recruitment and retention issues, thereby potentially adversely impacting the administration of justice. While my Department has not yet been provided with evidential data to support such claims., it remains available to review any further information that may be provided.
My Department has also sought advices from the Attorney General's Office as to whether the State has an obligation in relation to these professional fees. My Department will continue to keep this issue under review and engage with key stakeholders, as appropriate.
As it relates to the matter of State Solicitor pay, it should be noted that pay rates here differ from fees paid to counsel by the State. State Solicitor pay has an established link with the Assistant Principal or AP grade within the Civil Service - it comprises a personal element for the individual State Solicitor which is equivalent to the AP salary, a staffing element related to Clerical Officer grade and an expenses element that increases in relation to certain Consumer Price Index movements. The personal and staffing elements currently attract changes as per National Wage Agreements.
238. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on the newly launched Civil Service Renewal 2030 plan. [29419/21]
View answerCivil Service Renewal 2030, a new ten-year strategy for the Civil Service, was launched on 21st May. In addition to publishing the strategy, the launch provided an opportunity to highlight a number of projects undertaken across the Civil Service which show the important work carried out by civil servants up and down the country, particularly in responding to the challenges the country has faced over the last 18 months.
The strategy provides an ambitious framework for the future for the Civil Service and its staff. It builds on the strengths of the Civil Service and the initiatives delivered under the first Civil Service Renewal Plan and provides a long term framework to continuously improve. It is focused on achieving meaningful outcomes for society, the Government and stakeholders.
The strategy’s vision is for ‘an innovative, professional and agile Civil Service that improves the lives of the people of Ireland through excellence in service delivery and strategic policy development’. It has three core themes: delivering evidenced-informed policy and services, harnessing digital technology and innovation, and building the workforce, workplace and organisation of the future.
The strategy’s development is the result of an extensive consultation process informed by experience and expertise from across the Civil Service. A Taskforce of senior officials, representing all of the Civil Service Management Board (CSMB) Departments and Offices, have shaped the Strategy. It also draws on evidence collected from staff engagement during the implementation of the first Civil Service Renewal Plan and the results of the 2020 Civil Service Employee Engagement Survey. It is also informed by the lessons learned in the six Organisational Capability Reviews completed to date and from the Civil and Public Service response to the challenges of COVID-19. The strategy acknowledges the environment in which the Civil Service operates and identifies important challenges facing the Civil Service now and in the future.
The strategy will be implemented through a cycle of three-year action plans and work is underway on the first plan which will set out the priorities for the next 3 years. The first action plan will be published in the autumn.
239. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to introduce new legislation to deal with whistle-blower allegations. [27838/21]
View answer240. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to reform protected disclosure regulations. [27839/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 239 and 240 together.
Directive (EU) 2019/1937 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law ("the Whistleblowing Directive") was adopted in October 2019 and Ireland has until 17 December 2021 to transpose it into Irish law.
On 12 May 2021, following approval from Government, I published the General Scheme of a Bill to amend the Protected Disclosures Act to give effect to the Directive. The General Scheme has now been referred to the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform and Taoiseach for pre-legislative scrutiny and also to the Attorney General to commence formal drafting of the Bill for presentation to the Oireachtas later this year.
The proposals I have set out in the General Scheme will enhance the already comprehensive protections afforded under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 for disclosers.
241. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the approval of the Crossmolina flood relief scheme; when the scheme will be approved to proceed to tender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32062/21]
View answerThe current status in relation to Crossmolina Flood Relief Scheme is as follows:
As part of the approval process, the OPW submitted the scheme documentation to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (MPER) for Statutory Confirmation under the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945 and 1995. As part of this statutory process, stakeholders were afforded a formal opportunity to provide comments on the environmental element of the proposed works. Once this step concluded, the Department of Public Expenditure (DPER) procured independent consultants to carry out an assessment of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) and Natura Impact Statement (NIS).
Following a review of the material by DPER, the Office of Public Works received comments and requests for supplementary information. The project team for the Crossmolina Flood Relief Scheme are now compiling responses and supplementary information for DPER and will respond with the additional requested information in July. Once DPER receive this material, they will in turn need to review this material prior to granting Statutory Confirmation of the Scheme. We cannot provide an indicative timeline for this stage as it is outside of our control.
Subject to a satisfactory conclusion of DPER's Consultation and Independent Review, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform will give statutory consent to the scheme, allowing the project team to bring the Crossmolina Flood Relief Scheme to construction. Subject to confirmation, it is currently anticipated that the OPW construction crew will be in a position to commence advance construction works this year. These are indicative timelines and may vary depending on the confirmation process and favourable ground conditions.
Once DPER/MPER have completed their review, further information will be provided on the project website, which is available at: https://www.floodinfo.ie/frs/en/crossmolina/home/
242. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of civil servants on special Covid-19 leave at the end of 2020; the number at the end of May 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32543/21]
View answerThe number of Civil Servants recorded as being on COVID-19 special leave with pay at the end of 2020 was 139. As at the end of May 2021, this number was at 14.
Special leave with pay applies in lieu of sick leave for COVID-19 when an employee is advised to self-isolate and is displaying symptoms of COVID-19 or had a positive test.
The full details of the criteria for, and duration of, special leave with pay for COVID-19 is laid out in the Guidance on working arrangements during COVID-19 for the Civil and Public Service, which is kept under regular review by my officials.
https://www.gov.ie/en/news/092fff-update-on-working-arrangements-and-leave-associated-with-covid-19-fo/
244. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount his Department and associated agencies have spent on social media advertising since the beginning of January 2021 until 12 June 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32618/21]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that neither my Department nor the Office of Government Procurement, which is also part of my Department, have incurred any costs associated with social media advertising in the period specified.
This is also the position for the bodies under the aegis of my Department, with the exception of the Office of Public Works (OPW) and the Public Appointments Service (PAS), the details of which are set out in the table below.
|
Office of Public Works (OPW) |
|
|
Phoenix Park – Transport and Mobility options study |
€1,748 |
|
Phoenix Park – Deer Awareness Campaign |
€365 |
|
Rathfarnham rhythms concerts |
€125 |
|
Blasket Centre – public information |
€10 |
|
Public Appointments Service (PAS) |
|
|
Recruitment Advertising for a range of public service roles* |
€22,194 |
|
Quarterly Fees which allow PAS to avail of Job Slots and Recruit Advertisements (this enables PAS to target advertise for specific roles). |
€7,600 (quarterly fee) |
|
Targeted recruitment advertisement for Aistritheoir role in the Houses of the Oireachtas |
€650 |
* 81 recruitment advertisements from 01/01/2021 to 12/06/2021
245. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount his Department has spent on social media content production since the beginning of January 2021 until 12 June 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32635/21]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department incurred social media content production costs of €593.00 in the specified period. The purpose of this spend was for the continuation of a public awareness video recording on a social media platform, which advised of the extension of the deadline for submissions to the public consultation phase of the National Development Plan Review.
246. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount his Department and all associated agencies have spent on public relations consultancy costs since January 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32652/21]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that neither my Department nor the Office of Government Procurement, which is also part of my Department, have incurred any costs associated with public relations consultancy in the period specified.
This is also the position for the bodies under the aegis of my Department, with the exception of the Public Appointments Service (PAS) and the Office of the National Lottery Regulator, the details of which are set out in the table below.
I have been informed that the Office of Public Works (OPW) will respond directly to the Deputy in the coming days.
|
Public Appointments Service (PAS) |
|
|
General PR Services |
€10,265 |
|
Office of the National Lottery Regulator (ORNL) |
|
|
General PR Services |
€10,619 |
|
Stakeholder Communications Survey |
€3,229 |
248. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the breakdown of the costs associated with the establishment and maintenance of gov.ie. [32685/21]
View answerThe cost of gov.ie until the end of 2020 was €2,446,252. This includes all hosting, development and content migration. However, the cost-savings of the project have totalled €2.92 million with further savings yet to be realised.
There are also many other benefits associated with having a central point of access for government departments. This has resulted in a cost per click in 2020 of €0.008. This is more far lower than the average cost per click for the individual departments which was €0.021.
249. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a review has been conducted into the way gov.ie adheres to the web content accessibility guidelines and the National Disability Authority IT accessibility guidelines; and if he will share the outcome of that review. [32686/21]
View answerA review has been carried out. This identified a range of issues – the majority of which have been addressed by the gov.ie development team. A follow-on accessibility review is planned and a report on this will be published on gov.ie in the coming months.
250. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of plans to bring the gov.ie website up to date with web content accessibility guidelines. [32687/21]
View answergov.ie is currently partially compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines. The main areas in which it is not compliant are:
Tables: Tables need a new line of header code to be accessible. (This will be available by the end of July).
Images: Not all images have image or meta-descriptions. (This will be fixed by mid-July).
PDFs: Not all PDFs are accessible. (staff are being trained in making accessible PDFs)
The architecture and static elements of gov.ie are highly accessible. Lighthouse gives gov.ie a score in excess of 95%.
The other main area where gov.ie is improving accessibility is by the use of plain English. Service content on gov.ie now has an average reading age of 14. This compares with a reading age of 23 on the old departmental sites.
The gov.ie team are also planning a range of measures to improve accessibility. These include: user testing sessions, accessibility reviews, increased training for CMS users and technical improvements to the site itself.
251. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the length of time gov.ie has been in beta phase of development; and when it will move out of beta phase. [32688/21]
View answergov.ie has been in beta since October 2018 and will come out of beta once all departments are live later in 2021.
252. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of action 6a of the Climate Action plan; the costs involved to complete same and to publish the methodology. [32690/21]
View answerAction 6a of the 'Interim Climate Actions 2021' called on my Department to "Develop a methodology for the analysis of departmental capital investment proposals from a climate perspective" as part of the larger action to "Publish a revised National Development Plan detailing Government capital expenditures planned over 2021 – 2030."
This methodology was developed by officials in my Department, in consultation with officials in the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications. This methodology was duly issued to all Departments via a detailed guidance note and response template in line with Action 6b of the Interim Climate Actions. The results of this analysis will be incorporated into the NDP Review.
As this was an internal process, no costs were incurred, save the allocation of the time of staff in my Department. I will be happy to publish the methodology as part of the publication of the NDP Review.
253. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the current and capital costs involved with each action item in the Interim Climate Action Plan under his Department’s responsibility. [32700/21]
View answerThe actions committed to in the Interim Annex of Climate Actions by my Department are broadly focused on ensuring that the tools and procedures in use across Government, such as the Public Spending Code and public procurement rules, take sufficient account of climate considerations.
The specific actions assigned to my Department include activities such as the progressive implementation of green budgeting reforms to promote and achieve improved environmental outcomes through the budgetary process; developing a methodology for assessing the potential climate and environmental impacts of each Government Departments’ capital investment proposals as part of the NDP review; and revising the shadow price of carbon applied to all Government investment appraisal to reflect the enhanced climate ambition set out in the draft Climate Action Bill, once the Bill is adopted.
The actions that fall under the Department’s responsibility in the Interim Climate Action Plan are being developed internally by my officials, with input from other Government Departments as appropriate and occasional specific support provided by vehicles like DG REFORM’s technical support instrument. As a result, my Department has incurred no costs, current or capital, in the development of these actions, save the allocation of the time of staff employed by my Department and no further costs are anticipated at this time.
254. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will outline his key policy achievements in his Department since 27 June 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32722/21]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that in line with the requirements of Section 4 of the Public Service Management Act, 1997 my Department prepares a progress report on the implementation of its strategy statement annually. The Annual Report for 2020 was published on 12 May, was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas and is available on the gov.ie website at this link:
https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/da1589-dper-annual-reports-2013-16/
The Executive Summary of the Report sets out at a high level some of the main developments in 2020 as a whole, with further detail included throughout the report. Some key areas of work included:
- Managing Public Expenditure better by:
- managing the impact on the public finances of measures introduced to support people and businesses in the context of Covid-19;
- continuation of the rolling Spending Review process to provide a robust evidence base to inform policy making in the short and medium term;
- overseeing gross current expenditure by Departments of just over €85.3 billion and capital expenditure of €9.6 billion;
- progressing the Performance Budgeting and Equality Budgeting initiatives;
- supporting the implementation of Project Ireland 2040; and
- supporting financial management reform;
- Proactively preparing for the end of the Brexit transition period, including negotiation and rollout of the new Brexit Adjustment Reserve and developing Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan;
- Continuing to oversee the management of the 2014-2020 EU Structural Fund Programmes, engagement in the development of the 2021-2027 EU Cohesion Policy programmes and oversight of the North South EU programmes and the Special EU Programmes Body;
- Working to agree “Building Momentum”, the new public service agreement for 2021-2022, and managing the implementation of public service pension policy;
- Driving Civil Service Renewal and wider Public Service Reform, including:
- Co-ordinating the implementation of the Civil Service Renewal Programme, guiding and monitoring implementation of the framework for development and innovation in the Public Service (Our Public Service 2020) and leading a whole-of-government process to develop a new vision and ten-year strategy for the Civil Service;
- Continued implementation of the People Strategy for the Civil Service 2017-2020, including, in response to Covid-19, providing leadership and a public service-wide collaborative approach to the issues arising for public service employers, transferring online learning for staff via OneLearning, as well as providing supports for staff through the Employee Assistance Service and Office of the Chief Medical Officer; and
- pursuing reforms to deliver open, accountable and ethical government;
- Driving the digital agenda, including through supporting the move to wide-scale remote working in response to Covid-19, progressing digital solutions to challenges posed (e.g. the Contact Tracing App) and using the gov.ie portal as a key communications channel; and taking forward the implementation of Public Service ICT Strategies; and
- Implementation of the Public Procurement Reform Programme, including:
- completing 662 competitions for public service bodies, covering expenditure of €470 million; and
- establishing 32 national commercial arrangements, covering an estimated spend of €1.5 billion over their term, and a further eight discrete contracts covering spend of almost €200 million.
The Deputy may also wish to note that a broad range of information and updates about the Department's key policy areas are published on its section of the gov.ie website at the following link:
https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-public-expenditure-and-reform/
