Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Evaluating the opportunity for the external delivery of some public services is an important element of the overall public service reform plan agreed by the Government in November 2011. Last July, the Government agreed a range of actions aimed at achieving a focused and integrated approach to external service delivery of non-core processes with the objective of reducing costs and focusing staff on priority areas. The Government has decided that all proposed new services across the public service will be first tested for external service delivery before any approval to provide the service internally will be granted. A commercial delivery manager has joined the reform and delivery office in my Department to oversee the development and implementation of an external service delivery strategy.

We are evaluating the potential to deliver cost savings and efficiencies with the four main sectors of health, justice, education and local government by assessing areas of non-core work that could be potentially delivered by an external provider. The reform and delivery office has also been engaging with Departments, offices and sectors to identify existing services that may be suitable for delivery by external providers with a view to selecting a number of major projects for evaluation. All of this is in line with the agreement we have with the public sector unions, which is known as the public service or Croke Park agreement, which sets out a clear process for engagement and consultation with public service employees and their representatives. I have insisted that this be carried out in full. I am not of the view that external service delivery options are a panacea for all of our difficulties but they can be a part of an overall solution in the reform agenda for the public services as set out in our reform plan.

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