Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her response.

I have no doubt we would all agree that the Department of Social Protection has been exemplary in terms of its flexibility and management where issues have arisen, not only during the pandemic but prior to it. In fairness, as correctly stated by the Minister, when issues are brought to the Department's attention it is very customer-focused in trying to address them. She is also correct in saying that many of the issues brought forward by Members of the Oireachtas are customer-focused issues. The difficulty is that we have a responsibility to monitor the spend and to ensure that the targets in terms of policy are delivered. We cannot do that in terms of the measurables we have visibility of today. Information on the number of people who are paid a benefit on a weekly or monthly basis provides very little indepth information to us about what is actually going on in the Department in terms of meeting overall policy objectives. For example, an issue for Government in terms of policy is that of former carers transitioning back into the workforce when they are no longer in receipt of carer's benefit or carer's allowance. That is a policy objective of Government but there is no measurable there of the number of former carers who are coming off jobseeker's allowance payments. We all accept that one of the largest cohorts of people in receipt of social welfare payments in terms of poverty is the one-parent family yet there is no measurable in the performance indicators on that.

An issue that has been brought up consistently by members in committee is the use of employment services to get people back into long-term sustainable employment. A lot of the criticism of the employment services has been around whether the tender will provide long-term sustainable employment for people. Again, there is no measurable in that regard. The point being made by the committee is that we need a broader look in terms of the performance indicators within the Department. The Minister and Minister of State are answering members' questions today, but the reality is the performance indicators are developed by management. They are presented here as a key part of our consideration of the Revised Estimate, but it is impossible for us to make a determination based on what is in this performance indicators. That is why the committee has made its recommendation. We have asked for direct engagement with the Department on the design of a set of performance indicators that meet the Department's need but also meet the need of this committee and the Oireachtas in terms of scrutiny. Ultimately, we all want the same thing. None of us want to see this particular Vote being discussed at the Committee of Public Accounts following a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General. That ultimately is our primary objective in relation to this.

I ask that the Minister would reflect on the comments we have made here today. We will be asking the officials to come in to engage with us further on this. The Minister might give consideration to the issues raised in advance of a meeting.