Dáil debates
Tuesday, 26 June 2007
Departmental Expenditure.
4:00 pm
Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
The value-for-money and policy reviews process encompasses formal value-for-money reviews, as well as all other policy reviews conducted and commissioned by Departments which have an impact on value for money. Under the new arrangements, the Government approved some 90 formal value-for-money reviews to be carried out for the period 2006-08. That programme of reviews focuses on significant areas of expenditure and major policy issues.
Details of the programme of reviews have been placed in the Oireachtas Library. I also wrote to the Chairman of each select committee on 5 October 2006 setting out the reviews to take place relevant to that committee's remit. The reviews, when completed, will normally be published and submitted to the relevant select committee for consideration. Responsibility for carrying out each review and for publishing and submitting it to the Oireachtas committees rests with the individual Departments and offices.
To date in 2007, seven reviews have been completed under the new arrangements. These are:
| Department/Office | Report Title |
| Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas | Expenditure Review of the IT Service Level Agreement |
| Environment, Heritage and Local Government | Online Motor Tax |
| Agriculture and Food | Laboratory Testing for Plant Health, Feedingstuffs, Fertilisers, Forestry and Crops |
| Finance | Grant-in-Aid to Ordnance Survey Ireland |
| Social and Family Affairs | Unemployment Benefit/Assistance for atypical workers |
| Communications, Marine and Natural Resources | Public (Exchequer and EU) Supports for Aquaculture 2000-2005 |
| Justice, Equality and Law Reform | Irish Prison Service Capital Expenditure Review |
I am also informed, based on the latest information available to my Department, that 69 of the 92 reviews scheduled for completion under this current round to end at the end of next year are either completed or under way. Of these, 20 reviews have been completed while a further 14 have reached the stage where they are quality assessed by an independent party before being finalised and published.
If the Deputy wishes to receive information on progress in regard to individual reviews, I suggest he pursue the matter with the relevant Minister.
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