The national development plans have led to dramatic improvements in planning, monitoring and evaluation skills in Ireland's formidable public service as an entirely new capacity has been developed in terms of public policy management and control. Membership of the European Union has also resulted in new standards in our approach to regulation with the establishment, for example, of the Employment Equality Agency, Competition Authority, Environmental Protection Agency and Health and Safety Authority. All these agencies matter to people and flow from the framework legislation of Ireland's European engagement.