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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 5 Nov 2002

Vol. 556 No. 3

Written Answers. - Departmental Strategy Statements.

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

316 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the key performance indicators being used by his Department; the performance in respect of these for the past five years; and if a commentary is published on these performance indicators linking them to objectives and activities. [20309/02]

Under the provisions of the Public Service Management Act, 1997, PSMA, the Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs is required, every three years, to submit for ministerial approval a strategy statement outlining a programme of implementation for Ireland's foreign policy objectives for the following three years. The current strategy statement – for 2001 to 2003 – sets out the Department's high-level policy goals and the detailed strategies and objectives to be pursued in order to achieve them. The Secretary General is also required, under the PSMA, to submit annual reports to the Minister setting out the progress towards achieving the policy goals and objectives contained in the strategy statements.

Annual reports have been produced for each of the years covered by the Department's previous strategy statement, 1998-2000. The first annual report relating to the current strategy statement, for 2001, has recently been published and copies have been forwarded to the Oireachtas Library. The report lists the objectives in each area of departmental business and provides an assessment of progress towards their achievement.
The PSMA also requires the preparation of new strategy statements by Departments within six months of the formation of a new Government. The Department is, therefore, currently preparing a strategy statement which will relate to the period 2003-05. In addition to setting out the high-level goals, objectives and strategies to be pursued, the new strategy statement will also contain detailed performance indicators. These will facilitate the preparation and assessment of progress reports which will, from now on, be submitted to the Minister at six-monthly intervals.
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