Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 December 2021
67. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the main policy achievements and initiatives undertaken by his Department during 2021 and his main priorities for 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62200/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThroughout 2021, the staff of my Department worked collaboratively on a very wide range of policies, projects and initiatives to deliver on the strategic goals set out in the Department's Statement of Strategy 2021-2023. Full details in relation to the achievements of the Department in respect of its key objectives for 2021 (summarised below) will be set out in my Department's Annual Report 2021, which will be published on the Gov.ie website in early 2022. These include:
- To continue to manage public expenditure effectively while addressing challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic, Brexit and Climate Change;
- To produce multi-annual Estimates and Expenditure Statements that meet Government objectives, EU commitments and support economic, social and climate-related progress on a fiscally sustainable basis, and to monitor voted expenditure outturns and trends during the year;
- To mainstream budgetary reforms to promote certainty and discipline regarding the level and broad composition of public expenditure over the medium term, to enhance the quality of performance information and to continually develop the evidence-based approach to expenditure policy formulation, including through the key role of the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service and through the promotion of the linkage between the allocation of resources and the proposed wellbeing framework;
- To manage public service pay and pension costs on a fiscally sustainable basis using agreed industrial relations frameworks and advance solutions to support the effective administration of the Single Pension Scheme;
- To oversee the review of the National Development Plan and alignment with the National Planning Framework as part of Project Ireland 2040;
- To address the challenges posed by Brexit, while maximising the opportunities presented by EU membership in a range of EU policy areas, and make the best use of EU funding, including the existing European Structural and Investment Funds and the new Recovery and Resilience Facility and Brexit Adjustment Reserve, and promote North-South cooperation, including through PEACE PLUS;
- To lead the implementation of Our Public Service 2020 to deliver better outcomes for the public, build effective public service organisations, and develop a culture of innovation as part of the reform programme, and to develop and lead the next phase of reform;
- To lead the development and implementation of a ten year Civil Service Renewal Vision and Strategy and the first of three operational plans;
- To promote and support open, accountable and transparent government and public administration and good governance in the Public Service;
- To lead and support the development and implementation of a new Civil Service People Strategy, which reflects the workplace transformation that has taken place as a result of Covid-19 and challenges traditional ways of working to support business continuity and effectiveness into the future;
- To drive the implementation of the GovTech priority actions and the Public Service ICT, Data and eGovernment strategies, with particular focus on those initiatives that will improve delivery of public services, encourage take-up of digital services, encourage sharing and promote the use of data as a key enabler of better services; and
- To lead the Procurement Reform Programme, to enable effective, sustainable and compliant procurement across the Public Service.
My Department has an important role in respect of service delivery to other public bodies and the details of the wide range of policies, projects and initiatives to deliver on the following priorities will also be included in the Annual Report 2021, including:
- To deliver effective and efficient ICT services to relevant public bodies as part of the Build to Share programme and use the OGCIO Vote to support the sustainable development and delivery of these services;
- To ensure oversight, value for money and evidence based prioritisation of learning solutions by OneLearning, which has responsibility for all L&D that is common across the Civil Service;
- To implement projects to strengthen HR service delivery across the Civil Service; and
- To continue to drive an integrated approach to public procurement through the Office of Government Procurement and to provide a range of procurement solutions for the Public Service, delivering value for money, compliance and risk reduction.
The Department's Annual Business Plan for 2022 is currently being finalised and will set out the key initiatives for 2022. It is expected to be published in January 2022.
The Deputy may also wish to note that a broad range of information and updates about the Department's key policy areas are published on its section of the gov.ie website at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-public-expenditure-and-reform/.
