Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together.

The quality customer service working group is one of four groups which, in recent years, have been actively developing and promoting the quality customer service, QCS, initiative in the public service. The other groups include the QCS officers' network, a research group and a group dealing with equality and diversity issues. These groups are active, to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the issues which are current at the time.

The QCS officers' network has been working intensively on the development and promotion of the customer charter initiative, including its extension to bodies under the aegis of Departments and offices. This is an important initiative whereby Departments and offices publicly commit to service standards and report on progress made. The QCS officers' network met four times so far this year and its next meeting is scheduled for the end of November.

Similarly, the QCS research group has been very active in recent months, including on the development of a major survey of customer satisfaction levels and attitudes towards Civil Service Departments. The group has also been assisting with the development of the specification for a major review of the customer charter process by independent experts. The group has met four times this year to date and its next meeting is scheduled for the end of October.

Against the background of intensive activity by other QCS groups, it has not been necessary for some time for the QCS working group to meet and its last full meeting was in October 2004. In the meantime, QCS issues are reviewed at the regular meetings of the implementation group of secretaries general, of which the QCS working group is a sub-group.

All QCS groups are serviced by the same unit in my Department, which also provides the secretariat for the implementation group of secretaries general, chaired by the Secretary General of my Department. It oversees the full change and modernisation programme for the Civil Service and public service. The QCS working group remains available to look at issues that may require specific review.

Quality customer service is at the core of the modernisation programme for the Civil Service. Improvements in the level of customer service ultimately depend on the commitment of management and staff in each Department, office and agency. I have no doubt that awareness of the importance of better customer service is increasing right across the public service. For example, earlier this year I presented 20 awards to projects which made a significant contribution to public service excellence. These projects were selected from over 150 applications, most of which were making a real improvement to the services being delivered on the ground in the areas of health, education and local government.

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