Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 15, inclusive, together.

The implementation group of Secretaries General has responsibility for overall co-ordination and promotion of the modernisation programme for the Civil Service. A number of sub-groups oversee the different strands of the modernisation programme, which are taken forward in close collaboration between my Department and the Department of Finance.

The quality customer service working group, chaired by Mr. Frank Daly, Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners, promotes improved service to customers. The group includes members from Departments and offices as well as representatives of customers and the social partners.

The main focus of the group in recent times has been the implementation of the customer charter initiative across the Civil Service. Guidance and training has been provided to Departments and offices to help them prepare the charters, and the majority of Departments have now published their charters; the remainder are scheduled to do so shortly.

These charters have been prepared following consultation with customers. Departments are expected to include measurable targets and then report on the achievement of these targets in their annual reports, starting in 2004. This process will ensure that the Civil Service remains focused on customer needs and becomes more accountable for achieving service standards.

The group has also overseen an initiative to identify and showcase examples of excellence across the public service. Following a national competition, 20 projects were selected for their achievements in improving customer service and the quality of administration.

These projects were presented at three national conferences in Dublin, Sligo and Limerick during July. I was pleased to present an excellence award to each of the projects. They then represented Ireland at an EU Quality Conference in Rotterdam.

Other projects undertaken by the working group in the past include the preparation of a paper on the customer service aspects of the decentralisation initiative, which has been circulated to all Departments, and a report on the use of accreditation schemes in the Civil Service. While improvements in the level of customer service will ultimately depend on the commitment of management in each Department, the quality customer service working group has helped to deliver improvements.

With regard to better regulation, which is another strand of the modernisation programme, progress has been achieved since the publication of the OECD report on regulatory reform in 2001. Many of its recommendations related to specific sectoral issues and progress in this regard was recorded in a report published in January 2003. A central element of the Government's response to the OECD report was the formulation of a White Paper last January, which sets out the introduction of regulatory impact analysis, initially on a pilot basis; improvements to our approach to sectoral regulation; a renewed drive to tackle red tape; and greater clarity and accessibility of regulation.

A better regulation group of senior officials has been established to oversee implementation of the White Paper and promote better quality regulation across the public service. To date, the group has focused on better regulation issues, including the enterprise strategy group. It also oversees progress on the ongoing programme of statute law revision which seeks to amend the Statute Book.

As already stated, another key action in the White Paper is the development of a system of regulatory impact analysis as recommended by the OECD. A number of Departments have agreed to pilot the draft RIA model.

Overall, good progress has been achieved in modernising the public service. This is extensively documented in the performance verification process under the Sustaining Progress agreement. The progress reports prepared for the Civil Service performance verification group demonstrate that considerable improvements have been made in the quality and efficiency of services.

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