Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate. The Labour Party motion is very wide-ranging. Some speakers widened the discussion beyond the subject of the motion.

My colleague Minister of State Deputy Dara Calleary, gave a lengthy and detailed response to the motion when he moved the Government counter-motion. In the short time available to me I will respond to some of the points raised by Opposition speakers. On whistle-blowing legislation, a number of Bills containing such provisions have been enacted in recent years and several more are currently before the House. On registration of lobbyists, the renewed programme for Government gives a clear commitment that the Government will introduce a register of lobbyists, including professional, corporate and non-governmental organisations.

Deputy Ó Caoláin mentioned the importance of local government reform. The Minister, Deputy Gormley, has indicated that the Dublin mayoral legislation is a first tranche in a major programme of local government reform and development. Efficiency measures will be pursued across the entire local government sector, arising from the efficiency review group's report and related initiatives. In addition, the Government will soon be considering the position in regard to the report of the Limerick local government committee and comprehensive proposals in regard to the future of local government will be set out in the promised White Paper on local government.

As regards the budgetary process, the Government has already taken important steps to reform the budget process over recent years. The pre-budget outlook document provides a full range of information on the public finances in advance of budget decisions. The Estimates of expenditure are now determined and presented alongside the annual tax decisions on budget day as part of a unified budget. Of course, our budgetary timetable will have to be reviewed to take account of the new European semester that will come into effect for all member states in 2011.

In regard to the performance aspects of expenditure, annual output statements now provide an opportunity for the relevant Dáil select committees to scrutinise the Voted expenditure allocations for each Department and to examine in detail the public service outputs and outcomes to be delivered. This initiative was complimented by the OECD review of the Irish public service in 2008, which also suggested ways in which this approach could be improved further and integrated more fully into the resource allocation process. These recommendations have been taken up by the Government as part of the Transforming Public Services agenda, which I know the Labour Deputies are encouraging.

As regards Opposition Members and legislation, it is only fair to make the point that there have been occasions where the Government has accepted Opposition Bills in principle, and a current example is the Construction Contracts Bill brought forward by Senator Feargal Quinn in the other House.

On the subject of Dáil reform more generally, I would like, on behalf of the Government, to take the opportunity to correct a factual inaccuracy in the contribution by Deputy David Stanton in the debate in the House yesterday. Deputy Stanton stated that the Government had not brought forward proposals on how the procedures of this House could be reformed and improved. He also stated quite clearly that no proposals brought forward by the Government had been discussed at the Dáil reform sub-committee of the Committee on Procedures and Privilege. Deputy Stanton is incorrect in both of these assertions. Last year, the Government mandated a working group to bring forward proposals for consideration.

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