Vol. 518 No. 6
60 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendations of the strategic management initiative second report on quality customer service in the sea fishing sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9523/00]
As the House has previously been advised, I have asked my Department to prepare by the end of June a comprehensive response to the committee's report. I look forward to receiving that response and to putting it into the public domain. It is now up to management to respond in a constructive and positive fashion to the committee's analysis and conclusions. If the committee has got the emphasis wrong in some respects, I have asked management to spell this out so that the overall debate can move forward.
The committee, the Department and I have the same fundamental objective which is to serve the sea fishing sector and all our client groups to the highest standards. We fully acknowledge the need for improvement. Priority is being given to sys tematic upgrading of the quality of customer service across the Department. A series of initiatives is already under way which will address the customer service recommendations contained in the report. The Department's recently appointed customer service manager is overseeing the implementation of these initiatives and will play a key role in monitoring customer service standards across the Department.
Quality customer service objectives and key performance indicators are now built into each of the Department's divisional business plans which will enable management and staff to regularly benchmark progress. I have reviewed the business plans intensively with my Department's management team. I have also asked the Department to give key priority to implementing quickly and in full its IT development strategy. A top class IT infrastructure is essential to ensure we have the real-time management information and communications capability required to effectively meet the needs of our client base.
The committee highlighted what it termed a poor relationship between the Department and the fishing sector. The extent to which there is a communications deficit with local groups and individual fishermen is being discussed with the national fishing industry organisations in the forum of the sea fisheries liaison group. At a meeting of the group on 19 April to discuss the report, the Department invited the industry representatives to offer suggestions on how to enhance the structure and modus operandi of the sea fisheries liaison group and for their views generally on the findings and recommendations in the report. This input and feedback from the industry representatives, in consultation with their members, will assist and inform Department's implementation strategy and response to the committee's report.
Given that this is the second report to emerge in respect of this matter, will the Minister indicate the aspects of the first report which remain to be implemented? What financial arrangements have been made to deploy sufficient numbers of staff to ensure that the report's recommendations are implemented? How many members of the Department's senior staff will be involved in ensuring that the second report is fully implemented or does the Minister intend to delegate responsibility for that to the new committee he has appointed?
With regard to the first part of the Deputy's question, I am not in a position to indicate the aspects of the first committee's report which have not been implemented. I would have to answer that as a separate question.
There has been a very intensive effort in the Department to respond positively to the criticisms that have been made. A number of those criticisms were unfair and unreasonable. However, the senior departmental team, including all the principal officers, are involved in a response which deals with improving customer service. With the key performance indicators and our divisional business plans being implemented, I am satisfied that we are seeing a much improved customer service. We have, however, staff difficulties. Some 40 staff positions are currently vacant and the Civil Service Commission has not been able to fill them, even though they are approved staff positions. Notwithstanding that, we have a brilliant staff in the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources, which is responding well to the huge demands placed on them. It would be wrong for anyone to get the impression that significant progress is not being made in respect of a range of new policy initiatives that are being undertaken together with the traditional work of the staff.
Will the Minister indicate in simple terms what exactly he proposes to achieve as a result of this report? What is the main objective?
The main objective is to respond to the legitimate criticisms in the report by putting in place the required organisational and structural arrangements. One such criticism concerns the Department's inability in the past to respond efficiently and effectively to queries and demands from the industry. That has improved considerably. I am satisfied that structures are in place to bring about further improvement. I assure the Deputy that the Department's staff, from junior level upwards, are working apace to ensure we respond effectively. That is our main objective in responding to the report. We will also respond to other aspects of the report which I would not accept, and we will explode some of the myths therein.
