Vol. 561 No. 4
259 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Finance the measures as outlined in the review of Estimates report which have been implemented by his Department to date; the measures he proposes to implement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4475/03]
I assume the Deputy is referring to the report of the independent Estimates review committee. The report noted that my Department had already identified the savings necessary to reach the pre-budget 2003 target for my Department's Vote. The report's only proposal in relation to my Department's Vote was that the allocation in it for the change management fund be reduced by €2 million. This proposal was implemented.
In its summary of conclusions, the report recommended that my Department should undertake a medium term review of expenditure and should, in conjunction with other relevant Departments, formulate proposals for better control of numbers and administrative costs. A medium term review of expenditure will be conducted this year by my Department, while the Deputy will be aware that in budget 2003, I announced that the Government had decided that numbers employed across all sectors of the public service were to be capped with immediate effect and there would be a reduction of 5,000 in those numbers over the next three years.
