Written Answers. - Delivering Better Government.
Bertie Ahern
Ceist:
38
Mr. B. Ahern
asked the
Taoiseach
the progress, if any, which has been made in the implementation of the second report of the co-ordinating group of secretaries entitled Delivering Better Government - A Programme of Change for the Irish Civil Service.
[18641/96]
Delivering Better Government — A Programme of Change for the Irish Civil Service— was launched on 2 May 1996. The central focus of the programme is the provision of excellent quality services to all customers of the Civil Service. This comprehensive report sets out the vision for the Civil Service of the future and provides a clear framework within which consistent and ongoing progress can be achieved.
Work has commenced on implementing the recommendations of Delivering Better Government. A new co-ordinating group has been set up to oversee the implementation of the report. The terms of reference of this co-ordinating group are as follows: (i) to oversee the implementation of the Government's programme for change in the Civil Service; (ii) to validate reviews of particular programmes as requested by Government and, (iii) to report regularly to Government on progress.
Membership of the co-ordinating group is drawn from both the public and private sectors. The group has already met on two occassions and will be presenting its first interim report to Government early next month.
In addition, a number of working groups, whose membership is also drawn from both the public and private sectors, have also been established to address the following key areas identified in Delivering Better Government: quality customer service; human resource management; financial management; open and transparent service delivery; regulatory reform and Information Technology and Systems. Three front-line groups, which are cross-departmental and cross-grade, have been established in the following areas: quality customer service, training and development, information technology.
The working groups and front-line groups will work together to address the issues involved in implementing Delivering Better Government and to develop the detailed programme of action. Meetings commenced in September and the working groups have set the end of October as an interim deadline for the presentation to the co-ordinating group of initial proposals for implementation of Delivering Better Government.
I am circulating in the Official Report details of the terms of reference and membership of all the working and front-line groups. Nominations have now been obtained from Government Departments for a cross-departmental team to support the overall strategic management process in both the development and implementation of programmes of action. It will also assist Departments with extending the process to the wider public service by the end of the year. This team will be put in place immediately.
Proposals for the reform of the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924, have been incorporated into the Public Service Management (No. 1) Bill, 1996, which has been considered by Government and has now been sent for drafting on a priority basis.
A key element of the response to Delivering Better Government is the publication, by all Government Departments and agencies, of statements of strategy before the end of this year. I am circulating with this reply a list of those Departments and agencies which have already published such statements and the schedule for publication of the remaining documents.
In addition to the above, a wide range of initiatives are being undertaken at local level within Departments and offices throughout the Civil Service. To date these have focused on the themes of communication, consultation and participation. A newsletter containing details of these initiatives will be circulated to all staff later this month as part of the continuing commitment to keeping staff informed of SMI related developments.
Finally, I propose to continue to consult with Opposition leaders on the detailed progress of Delivering Better Government as the programme is implemented throughout the public service.
Target Date for Publication of Strategy Statements.
Department-Office
|
Date
|
Agriculture, Food and Forestry
|
Statement completed and circulated to staff. Published in July 1996.
|
Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht
|
November 1996
|
Attorney General
|
End-November 1996
|
Central Statistics Office
|
Corporate Plan issued in December 1994. Being updated at present.
|
Chief State Solicitor
|
End-November (included in Attorney General's Office Statement) 1996.
|
Civil Service Commission
|
End-November 1996
|
Comptroller and Auditor General
|
End-October 1996
|
Defence
|
October 1996
|
Director of Public Prosecutions
|
*
|
Education
|
To be arranged following consultation
|
Enterprise and Employment
|
Strategy Documents published during 1996
|
Environment
|
Published on 22 March 1996
|
Equality and Law Reform
|
December 1996
|
Finance
|
Final Quarter of Year
|
Foreign Affairs
|
Under discussion
|
Health
|
To be arranged following consultation
|
Justice
|
September 1996
|
Land Registry
|
September 1996
|
Marine
|
November 1996
|
Office of Public Works
|
End-October 1996
|
Houses of the Oireachtas
|
End-1996
|
Ombudsman
|
December 1996
|
Ordnance Survey
|
End-November 1996
|
Revenue Commissioners
|
Corporate Plan (1994-1996) launched on 28 July 1994. The new Corporate Plan (1997-1999) to be published in October 1996
|
Social Welfare
|
Published 27 May 1996
|
Tánaiste
|
September 1996
|
Taoiseach
|
October 1996
|
Tourism and Trade
|
Mid-November
|
Transport, Energy and Communications
|
December 1996
|
State Laboratory
|
End-1996
|
Valuations Office
|
End-November 1996
|
*Outstanding.
Working Groups
Strategic Management Initiative
(I) Quality Customer Service
Terms of Reference:
(a) To develop a Quality Service framework for the Civil Service, based on the principles set out inDelivering Better Government and
(b) To oversee and facilitate the adoption and implementation of a Quality Service Improvement Programme, within this framework, by each Department and Office.
Membership:
Civil Service (1+12)
1. Cathal Mac Domhnail, Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners (Chair)
2. Sean Alyward, Principal Officer, Department of Justice
3. Kevin Cullen, Principal Officer, Department of Environment
4. Eric Embleton, Assistant Secretary, Department of Finance
5. Marie Kerrigan, Principal Officer, Department of Agriculture
6. John Lawton, Counsellor, Department of Foreign Affairs
7. Margo Monaghan, Principal Officer, Department of Enterprise and Employment
8. Brian Murphy, Chairman, Commissioners of Public Works
9. James Rogers, Commissioner of Valuation, Valuation Office
10. Frances Spillane, Principal Officer, Department of Health
11. Frances Stephenson, Office of Minister of State Avril Doyle
12. Eddie Sullivan, Director, Social Welfare Services Office, Department of Social Welfare
13. John Browne, Principal Officer, Department of Transport, Energy and Communications
Non-Civil Service (5)
1. Roger Acton, Chief Executive Disability Federation
2. Caroline Gill, Consumers Association
3. Aine Mizzoni, Operations Director, Sedgwick Dineen International Ltd.
4. Mary Murphy, Irish National Organisation for the Unemployed
5. Senator Fergal Quinn
Front-line Group on Quality Customer Service
Terms of Reference
(a) to identify the key issues and challenges arising in the front-line delivery of services and
(b) to contribute to the development of the Quality Service framework across Departments.
Membership (24)
1 Chair — Cathal Mac Domhnaill, Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners
|
Name
|
Office
|
Grade
|
Location
|
2
|
John Browne
|
Agriculture, Food and Forestry
|
Supervisory Agricultural Officer
|
Dublin
|
3
|
Séamus Burke
|
Ombudsman
|
EO
|
Dublin
|
4
|
Gerry Byrne
|
Social Welfare
|
Local Office Manager
|
Dublin
|
5
|
William Cruise
|
Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht
|
Attendant, National Museum
|
Dublin
|
6
|
Séamus Connolly
|
Valuation Office
|
District Valuer
|
Dublin
|
7
|
John Cremins
|
Collector General
|
CA
|
Limerick
|
8
|
Gerry Dolan
|
Land Registry
|
Examiner of Maps
|
Dublin
|
9
|
Bernard Farrell
|
Ordnance Survey
|
Superintendant
|
Dublin
|
10
|
Deirdre Fearon
|
Enterprise and Employment
|
SO
|
Dublin
|
11
|
Caroline Harte
|
Passport Office
|
CO
|
Cork
|
12
|
Margaret Kelly
|
Education
|
AP
|
Dublin
|
13
|
May Maguire
|
Land Registry
|
HEO
|
Dublin
|
14
|
Pat Mulvey
|
Finance
|
Services Officer
|
Dublin
|
15
|
Adrian O'Donovan
|
Health
|
AO
|
Dublin
|
16
|
Dick O'Driscoll
|
CSO
|
AP
|
Cork
|
17
|
Colette O'Flaherty
|
Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht
|
Assistant Keeper National Library
|
Dublin
|
18
|
Grace O'Malley
|
Education
|
EO
|
Tullamore
|
19
|
Rose O'Reilly
|
Revenue
|
Inspector of Taxes
|
Dublin
|
20
|
Bernie O'Shea
|
D/Taoiseach
|
Telephonist
|
Dublin
|
21
|
Áine Ní Gallachóir
|
Agriculture, Food and Forestry
|
EO
|
Galway
|
22
|
Geraldine Tanham
|
Social Welfare
|
Clerical Officer
|
Dublin
|
23
|
Barbara Toneycliff
|
Department of Justice
|
Clerical Assistant
|
Dublin
|
24
|
Monica Wallace
|
TEC
|
EO
|
Dublin
|
(II) The Human Resource Management Group
Terms of Reference:
To develop and oversee implementation of the framework proposals of Human Resource Management set out inDelivering Better Government.
Membership:
Civil Service (1+13)
1. John Hurley, Secretary (PSMD) Department of Finance (Chair)
2. Joe Boyle, Civil Service Commission
3. Anna Doughan, Principal Officer, Department of Education,
4. Josephine Feehily, Assistant Secretary, Revenue Commissioners
5. Séamus Feely, Principal Officer, Tánaiste's Office
6. John Gillespie, Assistant Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry
7. Michael Kelly, Assistant Secretary, Department of Health
8. Alice O'Flynn, Principal Officer, Department of Social Welfare
9. Brendan O'Donoghue, Secretary, Department of Environment
10. Tom Power, Assistant Principal, Department of Health
11. Paddy Teahon, Secretary, Department of the Taoiseach
12. Brendan Tuohy, Assistant Secretary, Department of Transport, Energy and Communications
13. Mary Whelan, Assistant Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs
14. Department of Finance official, as appropriate to the issue under discussion
Non-Civil Service (4)
1. Mary Darlington, Personal and Safety Manager, Bausch and Lomb
2. Kevin Heffernan, former chairman of the Labour Court
3. Michael McLoone, Donegal County Manager
4. Maura McGrath, Personal Manager, Bank of Ireland Front-line Group on Training and Development
Terms of Reference
In respect of present and future training and development needs for the Civil Service and particularly for front-line staff:
(a) to identify the key issues and areas of action and
(b) to contribute to the development of the Human Resource strategy for the Civil Service.
Membership (22)
1 Chair — John Hurley
|
Name
|
Office
|
Grade
|
Location
|
2
|
Maura Begley
|
Marine
|
CO
|
Dublin
|
3
|
Hugh Bradley
|
Revenue
|
Services Officer
|
Dublin
|
4
|
Linda Carroll
|
Social Welfare
|
CA
|
Dublin
|
5
|
Patricia Coleman
|
Finance
|
AP
|
Dublin
|
6
|
Pamela Conroy
|
Trade and Tourism
|
CO
|
Dublin
|
7
|
Ann Costello
|
Environment
|
HEO
|
Dublin
|
8
|
Gaye Dalton
|
Enterprise and Employment
|
CO
|
Dublin
|
9
|
Mary Donnellan
|
Defence
|
AP
|
Dublin
|
10
|
Marie Hogarty
|
Agriculture, Food and Forestry
|
CO
|
Dublin
|
11
|
Alice Kearney
|
Taoiseach
|
SO
|
Dublin
|
12
|
Pat Moriarty
|
Justice
|
HEO
|
Dublin
|
13
|
Ciarán Murphy
|
Land Registry
|
Examiner of Maps
|
Dublin
|
14
|
Willie McIntosh
|
OPW
|
HEO
|
Dublin
|
15
|
Michelle McMahon
|
Civil Service Commission
|
EO
|
Dublin
|
16
|
Frank O'Brien
|
Justice
|
Probation and Welfare Officer
|
Dundalk
|
17
|
Ciarán O'Cronin
|
Attorney General's Office
|
AP
|
Dublin
|
18
|
Denis O'Neill
|
Education
|
CA
|
Athlone
|
19
|
David Stokes
|
CSO
|
CO
|
Dublin
|
20
|
Tom Ward
|
TEC
|
HEO
|
Dublin
|
21
|
Pat Wylie
|
Equality and Law Reform
|
AP
|
Dublin
|
(III) Financial Management Group
Terms of Reference:
To develop and implement the framework proposals set out inDelivering Better Government in relation to improved financial management including multi-annual budgeting, delegation of financial authority, administrative budgets and accrual accounting.
Membership:
Civil Service (1+12)
1. Paddy Mullarkey, Secretary, Department of Finance (Chair)
2. Marian Byrne, Principal Officer, Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry
3. Des Coppins, Assistant Principal, Department of the Environment
4. Margaret Hennessy, Assistant Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs
5. John Loughrey, Secretary, Department of Transport, Energy and Communications
6. Joe Meade, Secretary and Director of Audit, Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General
7. Dermot McCarthy, Assistant Secretary, Department of the Taoiseach
8. Eddie McCumiskey, Secretary, Department of Social Welfare
9. Bridget McManus, Principal Officer, Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht
10. Jerry O'Dwyer, Secretary, Department of Health
11. Niamh O'Donoghue, Principal Officer, Civil Service Commission
12. Sara White, Assistant Secretary, Department of the Marine
13. Finance Official to attend depending on issue being dealt with
Non-Civil Service (5)
1. Mary Broughan, ex-chair, Irish Pensions Board
2. Sean Dorgan, Chief Executive, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ireland
3. Dermot Hegarty, Griffith College (working with D/TEC on Accruals Accounting)
4. Noreen Hynes, former President, Leinster Society of Chartered Accountants.
(IV) Working Group on Open and Transparent Service Delivery
Terms of Reference:
To co-ordinate and guide the legal, parliamentary and administrative initiatives under way to achieve openness and transparency in the conduct of public business, consistent with the public interest;
To identify and make recommendations on the administrative changes necessary to ensure that legislative measures currently in train (e.g. FOI, P&C, Ombudsman), are promptly adopted by Departments and public bodies.
Membership:
Civil Service (1+10)
1. Frank Murray, Secretary to the Government (Chair)
2. Dr. Ruth Barrington, Director, Department of Health
3. Tim Dalton, Secretary, Department of Justice
4. Vera Dervan, Principal Officer, Department of Social Welfare
5. Anne Doyle, Assistant Principal, Department of Equality and Law Reform
6. Colm Gallagher, Assistant Secretary, Department of Finance
7. Jim Hamilton, Attorney General's Office
8. Tadgh O'hEalaithe, Secretary, Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht
9. Julie O'Neill, Office of the Tánaiste
10. John Neary, Principal Officer, Department of Foreign Affairs
11. Pat Whelan, Director of the Ombudsman's Office
Client Perspectives (5)
1. Ellen Hazelcorn, Director of Applied Arts, Dublin Institute of Technology
2. Leonie Lunny, Director, NSSB
3. Mark Mortell, Head of Marketing, Lifetime Assurance Company
4. Olivia O'Leary, Journalist
5. Pat Montague, Montague Communications
(V) Regulatory Reform Working Group
Terms of Reference:
To review the current approach to and quantity of Government regulation and make recommendations on a programme of regulatory reform so as to simplify the regulatory process, reduce the burden of regulation, improve the quality of regulation and to provide for five yearly reviews of regulations.
To review the need for and make recommendations on a programme of consolidation of existing legislation so as to ensure a more accessible and fully up-to-date body of legislation.
Membership:
Civil Service (1+13)
1. Kevin Bonner, Secretary, Enterprise and Employment (Chair)
2. Tom Carroll, Secretary, Department of the Marine
3. Padraig Cullinane, Principal Officer, Department of Enterprise and Employment
4. David Doyle, Assistant Secretary, Finance
5. Finola Flanagan, Office of the Attorney General
6. Margaret Hayes, Secretary, Department of Tourism and Trade
7. Liam Hennessy, Assistant Secretary, Revenue Commissioners
8. Wally Kirwan, Assistant Secretary, Department of the Taoiseach
9. Bernadette Lacey, Principal Officer, Department of Social Welfare
10. Mary McCullagh, Assistant Principal, Department of Transport, Energy and Communications
11. Bernard McDonagh, Secretary, Equality and Law Reform
12. Paddy McKernan, Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs
13. Mary Moylan, Principal Officer, Department of the Environment
14. Michael Buckley, Chief State Solicitor
Non-Civil Service (5)
1. Aisling Doyle, BCL, Steven McKenzie and Co. Solicitors
2. Dr. Robert Clark, Professor of Law, UCD
3. Colum Mac Donnell, Chief Executive, Irish Exporters Association
4. Paul Skehan, Director, Chambers of Commerce of Ireland
5. Andrew Whitaker, Competition Press
(VI) IT Working Group
Terms of Reference
To review the current and potential uses of information technology (IT) in the Civil Service and to make recommendations for its more effective application so as to:
—ensure that the use of IT is driven by business needs and priorities in line with SMI strategy statements;
—maximise the benefits to be achieved from the use of it to deliver services, manage resources, including information, and streamline work processes and reporting arrangements; and
—ensure that in applying IT its potential to enable needed changes to be effected in work processes, reporting arrangements and organisational structures is fully exploited.
To review the implications and benefits of the emerging "Information Society" for the Civil Service and to make recommendations on the role of the Civil Service and the actions required in light of that role.
Membership:
Civil Service (1+11)
1. David O'Callaghan, Secretary, Defence (Chair)
2. Noel Doyle, Assistant Principal (1), Revenue Commissioners
3. Eric Embleton, Assistant Secretary, Finance
4. Martin Higgins, Principal Officer, Department of Health
5. Eileen Kehoe, Principal Officer, Department of the Taoiseach
6. Ann McGuinness, Principal Officer, Department of the Environment
7. Donal Murphy, Director General, CSO
8. Aidan O'Driscoll, Principal Officer, Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry
9. Pat O'Grady, Principal Officer, Civil Service Commission
10. Dermot Quigley, Revenue Commissioner
11. Oliver Ryan, Director, Department of Social Welfare
12. Catherine Treacy, Registrar, Land Registry
13. Don Thornhill, Secretary, Department of Education
Non-Civil Service (5)
1. Una O'Brien, National Instruments
2. Loretta Brannigan, Bank of Ireland
3. Billy Glennon, Vision Computing
4. Frank Murphy, Superquinn
5. Mike O'Farrell, Kodak Ireland Ltd.
Front-line Group on Information Technology
Terms of Reference
(a) identify the key issues and challenges arising in the use of Information Technology the front-line delivery of services and
(b) to contribute to the detailed proposals for the development of the IT usage across the Civil Service.
Membership (21)
1 Chair — David O'Callaghan, Secretary, Department of Defence
|
Name
|
Office
|
Grade
|
Location
|
2
|
Betty Martin
|
Foreign Affairs — Passport Office
|
CA
|
Dublin
|
3
|
Mark Brady
|
C & AG
|
Auditor
|
Dublin
|
4
|
Michael Carrick
|
Health
|
CO
|
Dublin
|
5
|
Maura Conneely
|
Finance
|
AO
|
Dublin
|
6
|
Eamon Cusack
|
Tánaiste's Office
|
SO
|
Dublin
|
7
|
Patricia Doran
|
Oireachtas
|
HEO
|
Dublin
|
8
|
Donal Fallon
|
Met Office
|
Senior Met Officer
|
Dublin
|
9
|
Sean Fay
|
Department of Social Welfare
|
AP
|
Dublin
|
10
|
Ursula Forde
|
Revenue
|
HEO
|
Dublin
|
11
|
Alan King
|
Agriculture
|
EO
|
Dublin
|
12
|
Breda Ingle
|
DPP
|
CO
|
Dublin
|
13
|
John McMahon
|
Taoiseach
|
Services Officer
|
Dublin
|
14
|
Conor Murphy
|
State Lab
|
Senior Chemist
|
Dublin
|
15
|
Jeannette Nolan
|
Social Welfare
|
CO
|
Dublin
|
16
|
Rosanna Nolan
|
OPW
|
Engineer, Grade II
|
Dublin
|
17
|
Sean McConmara
|
Education
|
Primary Inspector
|
Dublin
|
18
|
Frank McDermott
|
Justice
|
HEO
|
Dublin
|
19
|
Angela McGready
|
CSSO
|
EO
|
Dublin
|
20
|
Margaret Oliver/Teresa Sydenham
|
Defence
|
SO/HEO
|
Dublin
|
21
|
Seamus Walsh
|
Met Office
|
Meteorologist
|
Dublin
|