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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 2 Mar 1988

Vol. 378 No. 7

Written Answers. - Public Expenditure Programmes.

33.

asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if, in relation to all public expenditure programmes under his aegis in relation to State supports for industry, he has had a value for money audit or a zero base analysis of that expenditure carried out in recent times; if so, the results shown by these scrutinies; and, if not, the criteria on which value for money is judged by him in relation to those public expenditure programmes.

I can assure the Deputy that all expenditure programmes under the aegis of my Department are subject to regular scrutiny and review, especially as part of the annual estimates procedure.

The results of the last major review of industrial expenditure were contained in the Review of Industrial Performance, 1986 — in particular, Chapter 4 — published by my Department in March 1987 and copies of which are available in the Dáil Library.

In relation to the activities of the principal State industrial promotion agencies, IDA and Shannon Development which constitute the major element of my Department's Vote, the key measure of value for money is the cost per job created and sustained. This information is published each year in the IDA's annual report, copies of which are available in the Dáil Library. Moreover, in relation to all industrial grant applications, an economic appraisal is undertaken by the State agencies, vetted in the case of larger projects by my own Department, in order to evaluate the benefits of the project to the economy and the Exchequer and to ensure value for money.

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