Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 December 2023
65. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the main policy achievements of his Department in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54079/23]
View answerDuring 2023, the staff of my Department have worked collaboratively on a wide range of policies and initiatives to deliver on the strategic goals set out in the Department's new Statement of Strategy 2023-2025 to drive the delivery of better public services, living standards and infrastructure for the people of Ireland under three key strategic goals: Enhancing Governance; Building Capacity; and Delivering Effectively.
In addition to the Strategy implementation, my Department continues to safeguard the sustainability of public expenditure. This includes the strategic management of well-targeted and sustainable public spending and the negotiation and allocation of €95.9 billion of funding for 2023.
Some of the main policy achievements this year include; • The publication of the 2023 – 2027 Open Data Strategy to promote transparency and innovation in Ireland.
• The publication of the Better Public Services Strategy, a new Strategy to 2030 for the Public Service, and development of associated Action Plan for Designing Better Public Services.
• Budget 2024 delivered within parameters set by Government and negotiated in Summer Economic Statement.
• Delivery of Mid-Year Expenditure Report.
• Commencement of amended Protected Disclosures Act and publication of statutory guidance to assist public bodies in handling protected disclosures made to them under the Act.
• Enactment of the Regulation of Lobbying and Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) Amendment Act 2023.
• Publication of the Report of the Review of Ireland’s Statutory Framework for Ethics in Public Life.
• Publication of Circular 05/2023: Initiatives to assist SMEs in Public Procurement
• Publication of updated Public Procurement Guidelines for Goods and Services.
• The publication of Menopause in the Workplace Policy Framework for the Civil Service to commit all Civil Service employers to recognise the impact of menopause and actively support all employees who are affected.
• Publication of a Domestic Violence and Abuse Policy for the Civil service, which sets out statutory entitlements to domestic violence leave and other employment supports for civil servants.
• Providing appropriate funding for a whole of Government response to meeting our climate ambitions and Housing for All targets.
• The publication of Digital for Good: Ireland’s Digital Inclusion Roadmap to help make Ireland one of the most digitally inclusive States in the EU.
The Deputy may also wish to note that further details in relation to policy achievements in 2023 will be set out in my Department's Annual Report 2023, which will be published in Quarter 2 2024.
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: www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-public-expenditure-and-reform/.
