Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The Taoiseach said he has established a task force to advance the recommendations. I understand that this task force is due to report by the end of the summer. Can the Taoiseach confirm if that is still the target date for the task force to report? Can he give some indications as to when we will have a report from the task force?

He mentioned that there would be a process of consultation with the public service trade unions as one of the stakeholders in this, and this is quite proper and appropriate. Can he tell us by what means the other stakeholders in respect of public service reform and the delivery of public services, particularly the wider public which consumes public services, is to be consulted? By what means are their opinions to be taken into account in advancing this area?

In respect of some of the areas commented on in the OECD report, the report identifies that decentralisation will result in a 90% turnover of staff in some areas which are to be decentralised. How on earth are public services to be efficiently delivered if there is a 90% turnover of staff in some areas which are to be decentralised? Does it make sense, particularly in the new economic circumstances in which we find ourselves and the new circumstances surrounding the public finances, for the State to spend €900 million decentralising offices all over the country and then spend additional money paying travelling expenses to civil and public servants in the various areas to which they have been decentralised who will meet each other on the road when they travel to and from meetings in Dublin? Arising from the OECD report, will there be a Government review of its plans in respect of decentralisation?

Will the Government accept the report's recommendation in respect of the Freedom of Information Act? The report recommended that the charges for making applications under the Act be abolished to give the public added access to information. What is the position regarding State agencies? I understand that on the day this report was launched, the then Taoiseach said something to the effect that we had double the number of State agencies we needed. The current Taoiseach gave strong indications that he planned to reduce the number of State agencies and rationalise the situation. What is the current state of thinking in that regard?

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