Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021
480. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the last occasion on which a Department-wide review of all funding within his Department took place; the frequency of such reviews; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40641/21]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, my Department operates in a constantly evolving strategic context. The Department will continue to adapt both its reform programme and expenditure monitoring and evaluation programme activities, so that it can deliver on Government objectives, EU commitments and support the economic, social and climate-related progress in keeping with the requirement to return to a broadly balanced budget over the medium term. In this context, the Department is engaged in reviewing its funding on an ongoing basis.
The Department is currently engaged in its annual estimates process where all of its expenditure and programme activities are reviewed. Each business unit returns a standard template reviewing its current year financial performance, as well as estimating the funds required for each to deliver its public goods. Later in the year, as part of the business planning process, each division within the Department outlines its deliverables for the following year and recalibrates its activities and funding requirements based on its appraisal of how its current public goods are being delivered.
Each month, the Management Board also reviews the financial performance and expenditure of the Department. It also carries out a value for money review of all IT and consultancy projects in excess of €25,000 twice a year.
As the challenges facing our society change, so too do the activities that are required to be undertaken by my Department. This has always been a key expenditure driver of the Department since its establishment in 2011. A recent example of this has been the establishment of the Construction Innovation Support subhead that will support and encourage the industry to develop and leverage technology to increase its productivity in partnership with a third level institution.
