Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

Both prior to and after a budget, we have the SWITCH model, which looks at the distribution analysis. That is within the ESRI and looks at the overall distribution of the budget. Separately the well-being framework is published. It is an important piece of work in the context of the outputs that exist. Overall, we monitor a lot of the trends that exist in different Departments and agencies to measure how expenditure is linked to outputs. We can do more there, and we have to better evaluate outputs in how we review public financial procedures and how we review additional capital that could be allocated to particular Departments. However, if looking at our PISA scores in education, for example, the investment works and yields outcomes and outputs. There is ongoing monitoring of that. We have the government economic and evaluation service in my Department, which sits across different Government agencies and Departments and evaluates the evidence base behind different policies and what the outputs are. There are different metrics In different areas. Similarly, some of the Government accounting process involves the outputs as they are going. With regard to what has happened in recent years, the well-being framework, for example, has looked at a targeted approach to examining well-being and has many indicators across different metrics with regard to quality of life in Ireland. That provides a better breadth of post-budget analysis of how different policy measures work. There is also the distribution analysis. When I was Minister for Finance, it was an informative tool to see how the decisions I was making from a tax policy perspective impacted people and communities in terms of the policy decisions or options that I had. It is a useful tool for me and the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, in advance of the budget process.