Ms Eilís Ní Chaithnía:

We would like the recommendations made by the Parliamentary Budget Office to be implemented. These are necessary practical, sensible and technical adjustments which could be easily implemented.

On the next steps with the metrics and indicators, it is not yet clear to what extent the indicators and metrics are connected to the pot of money available. For this reason, it is difficult to identify what pot of money is available specific to the metrics that are identified and where this money will go. If we are to set appropriate metrics and indicators, we need to be able to see the ex anteanalysis to understand how the Department has assessed differential impact. In the first instance, we need to see how Departments are assessing the way in which budgets are satisfying the needs of recipients and how the Department is probing challenges and barriers faced by target groups. I do not see this in the document and I cannot see how these exercises will be done. The National Women's Council of Ireland sits on the steering group and will press to have greater clarity on these matters because, as I indicated, the metrics are focused very much on performance rather than equality impact. That is where my concern lies.