Departmental Expenditure.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 November 2005

Tuesday, 29 November 2005

Ceisteanna (237, 238)

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

226 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a list of the 54 expenditure reviews which have been initiated in 2005, distinguishing those which have been completed, indicating if any of the 54 are left over from the earlier programme; the aggregate value of annual expenditure covered by these reviews; and the way in which same have been selected. [36857/05]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Finance (Mr. Cowen)

Based on information supplied by Departments, I am setting out as follows details of 54 expenditure reviews completed or under way in 2005 under the existing round of expenditure reviews. The indicative estimate of the expenditure covered by the reviews is over €3.8 billion. Some 12 of the reviews have been completed, 14 have been quality assessed and are close to completion, seven are at quality assessment stage, and 21 are ongoing. Any reviews not completed by the end of the year will be required to be completed as part of the 2006-08 round of expenditure reviews which I will be submitting to Government shortly for approval.

Expenditure reviews underway or completed in 2005.

Department/Office	Title of Review	Indicative Estimate of Expenditure involved*	Status of Review
		€m
Agriculture & Food	Installation Aid	10	Quality assessed
	Farm Waste Management	39	Quality assessed
	BSE Eradication	30	Quality assessed
	Compensatory Allowances	232	Quality assessed
	Early Retirement Scheme	80(2003)	Completed
Arts, Sport & Tourism	Swimming Pools Programme	32	Ongoing
	Irish Film Board	15	At quality assessment
	Sports Capital Programme	52.9(2003)	Completed
Communications, Marine & Natural Resources	Energy, (Conservation and Alternative)	16	At quality assessment
Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs	Scéimeanna Feabhsúcháin sa Ghaeltacht	11	Quality assessed
	Capital Expenditure on the off-shore islands 2000-2004	13	Ongoing
	Ciste na Gaeilge	3	Ongoing
	Drugs Initiative	13	Quality assessed
Defence	Maintenance of Aircraft	9	Quality assessed
	Defence Forces Clothing Programme	3	Ongoing
Education & Science	Supply Panel for Primary teaching	2	Quality assessed
	Youth encounter Projects	2	Ongoing
	1st & 2nd Level Building Programmes; Topic 2	36	Quality assessed
	Schools Information Communication Technology programmes	16	Ongoing
	Information Communication Technology undergraduate skills programmes	38	Quality assessed
Enterprise, Trade & Employment	Science & Technology Spending	97	Quality assessed
	Cross Departmental Review supports to the long term unemployed	1,863(Includes expenditure across several Departments)	At Quality Assessment
Environment, Heritage & Local Government	Motor Tax on-line initiative	2	Ongoing
Finance	Change Management Fund	2	Quality assessed
	Institute of Public Administration	3	Quality assessed
	Information Society	9	Ongoing
	Economic & Social Research Institute	3	Ongoing
Foreign Affairs	Assistance to Eastern Europe	1.1(2003)	Completed
	Support to Afghanistan	6(2003)	Completed
	Development Co-operation Ireland’s Support for Education in Uganda and Zambia	12.2(2003)	Completed
Justice, Equality & Law Reform	Maintenance of Garda Premises	7	Ongoing
	Asylum/immigration	124	At quality assessment
	Prisons Capital Projects	56	Ongoing
	Staff training and development in the Courts Service	1	Ongoing
	Irish Prison Service Review of Healthcare	13.7(2002)	Completed
	Courthouse Maintenance & Capital Building Refurbishment	27(2003)	Completed
Houses of the Oireachtas	Parliamentary Information Programme Phase II	0.4	At quality assessment
	Oireachtas Broadcasting Programme	1.3(2002)	Completed
Revenue Commissioners	Use of outsourced service providers to support returns processing	2	At quality assessment
Social & Family Affairs	Supplementary Welfare Allowance Phase 2	650	Ongoing
	Unemployment Benefit/Assistance for atypical workers	175	Ongoing
	Back to Education Allowance	44.2(2004)	Completed
Taoiseach	National Economic & Social Council/National Economic & Social Forum/National Economic & Social Development Office	2.7	Ongoing
Transport	Cross Departmental Review on Road Safety	44.9(2002)(Includes expenditure across several Departments)	At quality assessment
Central Statistics Office	Social & Demographic Statistics	10(2004)	Completed
	Business Statistics Programme	#	Ongoing
Attorney General’s Office	Law Reform Commission	1.9	Ongoing
	Attorney General’s Scheme (jointly with Chief State Solicitors)	#	Quality assessed
Chief State Solicitor’s Office	Use of Stenographers	#	Ongoing
	Costs Recovery	#	Ongoing
Comptroller & Auditor General	Contracting out of audits to private sector accountancy firms	#	Ongoing
Director of Public Prosecutions	Bail applications before the High Court	#	Ongoing
State Laboratory	Operation and Management of the IT Systems in the State Laboratory	0.4(2003)	Completed
Ombudsman’s Office	Public awareness & publicity initiatives	0.08(2003)	Completed

* Based on the 2005 Revised Estimates Volume unless otherwise indicated.

# Figures for the expenditure involved are not readily available.

The Government approved the topics for review for the first year and the indicative list of topics for the second and third years of the existing round of expenditure reviews and the overall arrangements for carrying out reviews. In general, review topics were to focus on major policy issues or significant levels of expenditure. The expenditure review process is overseen by the expenditure review central steering committee. The committee is chaired by the Secretary General of my Department and its secretariat is also provided by my Department. Responsibility for the conduct of the reviews rests with individual Departments and offices. Any questions regarding individual expenditure reviews should therefore be directed to the relevant Departments or offices.

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

227 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a list of all topics for expenditure review which have been submitted to him by Departments as part of his work in putting together a new programme of expenditure review; and the value of spending in each case. [36858/05]

Minister for Finance (Mr. Cowen)

As I indicated in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 354 of 22 November last, I will be bringing proposals to Government shortly for approval of topics for review in 2006-08. My Department is currently in consultations with other Departments in this regard and I am not therefore in a position to give details of reviews planned for 2006-08.