Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

The Minister did not say what he has in mind. Would he consider, for example, that the spending Estimates and the broad based tax proposals should be introduced much earlier in the cycle, perhaps in October, and that they identify new programmes, the multi-annual implication of new programmes and their capacity to staff projects like hospitals they are committing to build, and sometimes are not staffed? Would he consider obtaining outcome and performance indicators from each Department to accompany the Estimates so that there would be realistic benchmarks against which to judge their spending programmes? Has he in mind some of the issues that have been developed overseas, such as efficiency agreements between his Department and some of the line spending Departments, changes in project appraisal methods, which have fallen into some disrepute, and ministerial compliance statements, where they would sign off on the robustness of the basis on which Estimates, particularly new programmes, are being put together? Are these the elements the Minister has in mind because it would be a useful direction in which to go?

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