Seanad debates

Tuesday, 18 February 2003

Finance and Related Matters: Statements.

 

The Minister of State referred to changes made in the past few months to improve the management of the public services. I accessed the Department's website to check the statement on projected current and capital expenditure by Department by month to the end of the year. I cannot understand it and it is difficult to envisage how anybody could. It is a series of two numbers per Department per month for the year. There is no explanation as to what underlies the figures, what expenditure is indicated on a monthly basis or why expenditure is heavy in one month, for example, October, while light in other months, such as during the summer. Doubtless officials in the Department know the answers to these questions, but if this information is to make sense it must be underpinned with much more information than has been made available to the public arena.

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