Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The review of industrial performance and policy 2003 carried out detailed analysis of Irish industrial performance and policy over the previous decade, including the performance and role of the enterprise development agencies over that period. While the review made no specific recommendations relating to future policy or the role of the agencies, the analysis contained therein informed the work of the Enterprise Strategy Group whose report was published in July 2004. This report made a number of recommendations relating to the future role and activities of the enterprise agencies.

In this regard many of the Enterprise Strategy Group's recommendations will have a strong influence on how the enterprise development agencies change and improve their client services. There, the ESG's report makes a valuable contribution to embedding strategies appropriate to the new realities and challenges facing the Irish economy. In this context the ESG's report contains more than 50 recommendations, directed at a wide range of Departments and agencies. This adds a certain complexity to ensuring a smooth flow of implementing actions. To address this I recently published an action plan, which was approved by Government in February of this year, to establish a focus on maintaining pace and momentum in implementation activity across the range of bodies and stakeholders involved. As part of this process I will be making twice yearly reports to Government on progress achieved in putting the Government approved ESG's recommendations in place.

A number of the proposals set out in the action plan are directed specifically towards the operations, roles and organisational structure of the enterprise agencies and these are being acted upon at present. As such there are no plans to carry out a formal review of the enterprise agencies' performance in the immediate future.

Performance review, in a variety of manners, is an ongoing priority for my Department. For example, last year my Department completed an expenditure review of Enterprise Ireland's overseas office network as well as an expenditure review of IDA Ireland's property programme which were both in-depth and exhaustive reviews that involved cross-agency and departmental input. Further reviews are taking place — earlier this year my Department requested both IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland to conduct a full review of their respective regional development programmes to be finalised by the end of this year. Furthermore, my Department has also signalled to IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland its intention to require them to undertake a complete suite of elementary reviews for each of their expenditure programmes over the next three years.