Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Could I add one or two remarks? What the Deputy said is extremely thoughtful. He is right. Sometimes it is frustrating for all of us, whether as a Minister or public representative, to try to measure the effectiveness of what we are doing. We could start work at 6.30 a.m. and work right throughout the day and then ask ourselves how we can measure what we did. I believe that is what this committee is trying to do in a helpful way. It is asking whether we can apply some metrics to this process in order that we can have a sense of what has been achieved and in order that it can question me on whether we are satisfying those measures. That is the question we need to answer.

Broadly speaking and just looking at my Department, examples of measurable outputs would be, for example, things such as energy efficiency in homes.

That is objectively measurable to some extent at least. Similarly, the Department has an objective whereby fossil fuels will be replaced over years or decades with renewable energy. The question as to whether the Department is achieving this goal is measurable, admittedly over a period of years rather than on a day-to-day basis. I mentioned broadband and stated the Government will ensure that broadband reaches every home and business in the State by 2020, with 85% reached by 2018, through a mixture of public and private sector investment. It will not be possible to measure this aim until 2018 to ascertain whether the 85% target was reached and until 2020 to find out whether all areas were covered but it is possible to measure the credibility of what is being done at present to reach those objectives and that can be tested. As for broadcasting, I do not know. That perhaps is a quite difficult area in respect of outputs. One might suggest outputs of hours on air but that is hardly a satisfactory measurement of outputs. It is certainly not a measurement of quality and is not sufficient. One might suggest measuring indigenous programming, that is, programming produced in Ireland and that might be a good measurement of the success of the broadcasting policy. I believe more could be done to enhance the kind of measurement the committee is seeking and I will support the committee in this regard.