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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 5 Nov 2002

Vol. 556 No. 3

Written Answers. - Departmental Bodies.

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

296 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance the key performance indicators of the agencies which his Department funds; the performance in respect of these for the past five years; and if these agencies publish a commentary on these performance indicators linking them to objectives and activities. [20325/02]

My Department funds the following agencies within the central Government area: Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Euro Changeover Board of Ireland, the Public Service Benchmarking Body, the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector and the Special EU Programmes Body. In addition, funding is also provided to the Economic and Social Research Institute and the Institute of Public Administration, both of which are private companies.

The Ordnance Survey Ireland, OSI, which receives a grant-in-aid, was established as a State body under the aegis of the Minister for Finance, with effect from 4 March 2002. The Department and OSI are developing a public service agreement which will include reference to the level and standard of services which the OSI will supply to the Minister in respect of public funding provision for national interest mapping.
The Euro Changeover Board of Ireland was established by me in May 1998. It had two basic tasks: to oversee the detailed implementation of the changeover to the euro and to provide public and consumer information. The changeover to euro cash was implemented smoothly, rapidly and with minimum disruption to commerce and the public. By the end of the first weekend the bulk of cash transactions were taking place in euro, and the changeover was virtually complete within a week. Details of the board's activities are set out in its four annual reports, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library and on the Board's website www.euro.ie.
The Public Service Benchmarking Body's task under the PPF was to deliver its report on time and this was achieved. The primary function of the review body on higher remuneration in the public sector is to advise the Government periodically on the general levels of remuneration appropriate to top public servants. In the case of the last general review, the review body's report, report No. 38, was published in January 2001. The review body's report on a separate review of senior posts in the third level education sector, report No. 39, was published in May 2001.
The Special EU Programmes Body is one of six North-South implementation bodies set up under the Good Friday Agreement. The Special EU Programmes Body is concerned with the management of joint North-South EU funded programmes such as PEACE and INTERREG, and monitoring the implementation of North-South co-operative actions under the NDP and Northern Ireland Structural Funds plan. Each North-South implementation body is required to prepare annually a corporate plan and annual business plan for the approval of the North-South Ministerial Council. The North-South Ministerial Council approved the Special EU Programmes Body's current Corporate Plan 2002-2004 and Business Plan 2002 in February 2002. Key performace indicators have been established for each functional area. The North-South Ministerial Council reviews progress on the achievement of these key performance indicators at each of its meetings. The Special EU Programmes Body is required to report on the achievement of its corporate and business plans in its annual report and statement of accounts. Copies of the annual report and statements of accounts are deposited in the Oireachtas Library and copies of the coporate and business plans can be obtained from the Special EU Programmes Body.
The Economic and Social Research Institute, which receives a grant-in-aid, is in the course of preparing a strategic plan, a key feature of which will be performance indicators. Information on the institute's activities is contained in its annual reports, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library.
The Institute of Public Administration, IPA, which receives a grant-in-aid, operates under a series of business plans. These plans set out a range of performance indicators which are linked to a number of articulated objectives for each division and unit in the IPA. Reports on progress, as measured by these indicators, are produced on a regular basis. A copy of the most recent report will be forwarded to the Deputy.
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