Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2004
146 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Defence if his Department has achieved the target, set out in the initiation of the expenditure review initiative in 1997, that all Government expenditure be subject to a formal review under that initiative every three years; and if not, the areas of expenditure in respect of which the three yearly review has not taken place. [17572/04]
Amharc ar fhreagra147 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Defence the areas of expenditure of his Department in respect of which an expenditure review under the expenditure review initiative has not yet been completed and published. [17587/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 147 together.
The initial target of the Expenditure Review Initiative, ERI, was to review all expenditure programmes over a three year period. However, a review of the process by the Department of Finance/Expenditure Review Central Steering Committee in 2000-01 found that this target had been over-ambitious and that a more focused approach to the selection of review topics was required. This view was supported by a Comptroller and Auditor General value for money study of the ERI in 2001, which proposed that a more realistic target should be set that took into account the level of evaluative capacity in Departments generally.
In June 2001, the Government decided, inter alia, that the Department of Finance and individual Departments/offices should compile and agree a work plan of review topics based on specific selection criteria, i.e. that programmes selected for review should reflect Government priorities or strategic result areas, involve significant levels of expenditure, etc.. Subsequently, in May 2002, the Government approved a schedule of expenditure review topics proposed for the first year of the next three-year planning horizon, 2002-04, and noted the topics proposed for 2003 and 2004. In April 2003, the ERCSC asked Departments/offices to update their expenditure review plans, again in consultation with the Department of Finance. The committee emphasised the Government’s selection criteria and advised that Department’s offices should select a small number of programmes/areas involving major policy issues or significant levels of expenditure. On foot of this process, revised expenditure review plans were drawn up by Departments/Offices.
Under the aegis of the Expenditure Review Initiative and the efficiency audit group process which preceded that, the Department of Defence has completed and published the following reviews: The White Paper on Defence; Review and Implementation Plan for the Naval Service; Review and Implementation Plan for the Air Corps; and Provision of Medical Services for members of the Defence Forces. It might be noted that these reviews, together, effectively cover all Defence Vote expenditure.
A review of aircraft maintenance is nearing completion while a review of Defence Forces clothing is being planned.
