Mr. Aidan O'Driscoll:

Agility of response is one of the key objectives and using a functional model is very helpful in that regard, as is setting up the transparency function. Some of the difficulties of the past in the Department related to the transmission of information within the Department and from the Department externally. It would be the area of greatest criticism of the Department within the Civil Service, frankly. We think the establishment of the transparency function is an extremely important initiative in that regard. I have to mention a caveat and say that the new function is now up and running and performing extremely well. I am very pleased with the way it is working, but it will take time to fully bed in. It is for that exact area, in particular, for which I am asking for a little tolerance from the committee.

The agility of response, to which the Deputy also referred, is very important. Setting up the policy, governance and service delivery units plays to that objective. Agility of response in a service delivery area is much more likely if there are service delivery specialists who know what it means to be customer centric. It is not just a pious aspiration, but rather their core function. That is also a very important part of the response.

The short answer to the Deputy's question is that I think so, but I am going to invite him to do something I had intended to do with the committee anyway, namely, invite members to keep an eye on what is happening and invite me back in six months, a year or whatever.