Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 21 February 2018

Committee on Budgetary Oversight

Equality Budgeting Initiative: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

2:00 pm

Ms Sarah Swaine:

It is one per programme. It is a similar approach to that which we have adopted here. It is not limited to one objective, but that tends to be the case. That then flows downward to a number of indicators. It is included in the strategy statement of the Department itself and informs its work programme. It also filters upwards to parliamentary scrutiny. That is how Austria has approached it and we are learning from it. Many of the countries working in this area are still at an early stage of development and are learning from each other. There is an OECD group on gender mainstreaming and budgeting. It had its inaugural meeting last year and will meet on an annual basis to share learning.