John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 501: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the elements of the report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes that have been implemented to date by his Department; his plans to implement any aspects of the plan in the future; if the overall plan has been assessed by his Department; and if so, his views on the benefits of the plans. [28114/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Expenditure provisions for 2010 for my Department are set out in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2010 published by the Minister for Finance. These provisions have been determined in the context of the overall provision for public services; they reflect the need to reduce public spending and, as indicated by the Minister for Finance in his Financial Statement on 9 December 2009, have been guided by the Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes.

My Department, local authorities and related agencies are working to maximise outputs from the 2010 provisions through prioritisation, increased efficiency and lower procurement costs generally.

Recommendations in the Report relating to my Department are reflected, inter alia, in savings in administrative costs arising from reductions in public service numbers and pay; the reduced Exchequer contribution to the Local Government Fund (€226 million in 2010, in the context of wider developments relating to local government finance); the review of the EPA which is underway; the ongoing rationalisation of agencies in the housing area; and policy developments concerning charging for treated water use and more extensive use of leasing to ensure overall housing output is maintained at the highest level possible.

The work of the Local Government Efficiency Review Group is now well-advanced: consistent with the approach in the Report, the Group is looking at the cost base and expenditure of, and numbers employed in, local authorities.

The Report will continue to be taken into account in the development of policy and the management of programmes by my Department.