Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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52. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which he expects reform to feature in respect of policy affecting various Departments with particular reference to the need to ensure equity throughout all Departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10629/19]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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This question is self-explanatory. To what extent do the reforms that were evident in recent years continue to be exercised across all Departments, without exception?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for his question. I launched the current framework for public service innovation and development, Our Public Service 2020, in December 2017. This plan is a whole-of-public service initiative that has been designed to build on the success of previous reforms, while also expanding the scope of reform to enable more collaboration, innovation and evaluation.

Ensuring equity and consistency in the application of reform across the entire public service is central to the framework. I expect this to be achieved through a robust and innovative governance structure, namely, the public service leadership board, PSLB, and the development of key indicators and metrics that are designed to track performance across our entire public service.

The PSLB was established to lead the delivery of Our Public Service 2020. For the first time ever, civil and wider public service leaders will share ownership and work jointly to drive the reform programme. This governance structure provides a platform for officials at the most senior level and from across the gamut of public services that we provide to ensure the even and consistent application of reform. Furthermore, Our Public Service 2020 contains an added focus on evaluation and the importance of building an evaluation culture. This will be achieved in part by developing indicators that support a focus on outcomes. For this reason, my Department established a reform evaluation unit to monitor and evaluate the reform outcomes and to create greater links between expenditure and reform.

Our Public Service 2020 seeks to deliver better outcomes for the public by ensuring that the citizen is at the centre of all policies and services that we deliver. There are always ways to do things better when it comes to the delivery of public services, but I am confident that my Department and those involved in the delivery of public services look to find ways to improve continually.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his reply. Are Departments encouraged to compare their results with a view to achieving the best possible outcome for the taxpayer? Has that happened in the past? Can that be done and is it likely to be done in future?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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They do that through the PSLB, a new organisation that we have put together. What is notable about it is that it involves leaders from our civil and wider public services. For example, it has the Garda Commissioner as a member in addition to the Secretaries General of Departments. This is the first time that we have brought leaders from across the entire public service together with a view to seeing what they can learn from one another. In the delivery of, for example, IT projects, there is a far greater sharing of knowledge and services across Departments than was the case previously. Local authorities are a leading example of this. A number of them have taken on responsibility for the discharge of particular services on behalf of all local authorities across the country. This is a good development.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Given the obvious success of that policy during the downturn, does the Minister remain satisfied that the same benefits can accrue in a growing economy, as ours is? Will the reforms that are in place have the same effect or be even more beneficial in our current economic climate?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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That is a relevant question. During the economic difficulties, there was a necessity for change in how we did things. Indeed, those difficulties provided a burning reason for why things needed to change quickly. It is fair to ask how we can maintain the same impetus for change when, thank God, we do not have those awful circumstances around us any more.

I am satisfied that there is the enthusiasm and drive to do this. That comes from two factors, the first of which is digitisation. There is a demand from citizens to be able to access services in a new way. Our public services must respond. The leading example of this is Revenue and the work it does in terms of the filing and use of tax information online. Second, those who provide our public services every day come into work and find ways to perform their jobs differently and better. There is an attitude for change there that will not go away.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister.