Vol. 527 No. 2
41 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Finance when he will conclude his consideration of the steering group report of the Committee of Public Accounts dealing with the Revenue Commissioners; when he will bring proposals in this regard to Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27994/00]
I have not yet concluded my consideration of the report as I am awaiting the outcome of the examination of the report by the Committee of Public Accounts Sub-Committee on Certain Revenue Matters at a hearing which is taking place today. I will give detailed consideration to any recommendations made by the sub-committee before I submit proposals to Government in a Memorandum which, as I have already indicated in my response to Deputy McDowell on 26 October last, I anticipate will not be until early in the New Year. As I also indicated to the House on that date, I do not intend to delay consideration of the recommendations and I will make speedy decisions on them.
However, the report contains 48 recommendations in all, some of which involve administrative actions not requiring Government decisions, that is, those relating to the reorganisation structures below board level within Revenue. The report recommended that Revenue undertake a number of these actions by the end of the year. Some of these relate to Revenue's proposed major restructuring programme which will involve extensive changes in the way Revenue is organised and which was endorsed by the steering group report.
Revenue have indicated that they have commenced work in planning and developing the processes and structures that will have to be put in place to implement the overall change agenda. This will involved setting up a project board and a number of project teams, each of which is to be headed by an Assistant Secretary. The teams will develop proposals to implement the recommendations relating to: the proposed large cases division; the single prosecutions division; the pilot integrated regional structure in the south-east; realigned Revenue legislation services, and new head office structure.
The report further recommended that Revenue's plan to establish a manpower advisory service be proceeded with and that an organisational development Unit also be established as a matter of urgency. Revenue intend to establish both units shortly.
To facilitate these proposals, my Department recently sanctioned an extra 31 posts to carry out this work, including an additional Assistant Secretary post to progress the establishment of the large cases division.
