Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 6, inclusive, together. The Government statement on transforming public services and the report of the task force on the public service were published in late November. The statement sets out an ambitious programme of renewal for the entire public service and represents the next critical phase in the reform of our public services. Implementation is being overseen by the Cabinet committee on transforming public services, which has met twice already. The last meeting of the Cabinet committee took place on Wednesday, 4 March and the next meeting is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 1 April. The first meeting took place in early February. The Cabinet committee will continue to meet regularly thereafter to ensure progress on the implementation of the commitments in transforming public services.

I chair the Cabinet committee and its membership also includes the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Health and Children, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government, and the Minister for Education and Science. Other Ministers and Ministers of State will attend meetings as necessary.

The work of the Cabinet committee is being supported by the newly established programme office, which is based in my Department. The programme office will support organisations across the public service in their efforts at transformation and will also support the Government in driving, co-ordinating and monitoring progress in implementation. In addition, it will promote innovation and the piloting of new activities and identify areas for joint action by organisations.

The programme office has been established from within the existing financial and staff resources of my Department. In addition, it will be supplemented by four secondees, one each from the four main sectors of the public service, namely, the local government, health, education and justice sectors. The cost of these four individuals will be met by their parent organisations. Its full complement of staff will be in place shortly. No new resources will be used to implement the overall programme of change. Instead, the resources required to implement the programme will come from within existing allocations, through reprioritising activities.

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