Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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13. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the degree to which reforms throughout the public sector remain in place to ensure accountability, collective responsibility and good value for money; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21675/18]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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This question seeks to ascertain the extent to which reform remains a central part of Government policy, with a view to achieving the points set out in the question.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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It is an essential element of what we are looking to do. Last December I published the public service plan of 2020 that laid out what we are looking to do in how we deliver services. Only last month I published a performance report that laid out what every Government Department is meant to do and the progress that has been made to date in delivering against those targets.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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From what he has observed so far, can I ask the Minister about the success of the plan so far and the degree to which he expects to achieve continued results of a beneficial nature?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I expect that we will continue to see improved results. The Government and I are particularly focused on making progress with the challenges we have in the housing and health sectors at the moment.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Having regard to the degree to which reform stood the country in good stead during the downturn of the economy, what is the degree to which it can now be ascertained that the continued reforms can be of assistance in different economic climate as they unfold?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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It continues to be vital in terms of making sure we get good value on how the country's money is spent. It is fair to say we have to construct the need for reform and the argument for it in a different way.

12 o’clock

During the crisis, much of the reform was focused on how we could find savings, efficiencies and manage tough decisions that had to be made. The focus of it now is not on cutbacks but on trying to make better use of the nearly €60 billion spent every year.