Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 January 2023
219. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the Departments that fared worse in efforts to ensure reduced costs through the medium of reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2583/23]
View answerAll Government Departments are required to carefully manage public funds and to ensure that the best possible value is obtained whenever public money is spent or invested. Budgetary and expenditure reforms remain a key feature of public expenditure management throughout all Departments. This important goal has been fully embedded across the system of Government and is progressed in a number of ways including the day-to-day management of resources, regular engagement across Departments on cross-cutting issues and through the public service reform programme. It is also progressed through a range of core budgetary reform initiatives such as Performance Budgeting which was introduced in 2011.
A key part of the overall budgetary process, Performance Budgeting aims to deliver transparency and accountability on public expenditure by showing what has been delivered with financial allocations. Performance metrics are reported twice yearly in both the Revised Estimates Volume each December, and also in the dedicated Public Service Performance Report in early quarter two. All Government Departments identify relevant metrics which are reported, and with the current Public Service Performance report being the 6th edition, this information also provides trends in areas of expenditure. The Deputy might wish to note that the Public Service Performance reports are published on my Department's website on: www.gov.ie/en/collection/61d3f-public-service-performance-reports/
Performance Budgeting is a valuable tool to enable Oireachtas scrutiny of public expenditure and the format of the information is presented to the Budgetary Oversight Committee each year for feedback on how this can best serve as the tool intended.
