Written answers

Thursday, 21 April 2005

Department of Finance

Public Capital Programme

5:00 pm

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 88: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of public servants who are employed full time on the assessment, procurement, project management and delivery of infrastructure projects covered by the public capital programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12532/05]

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 89: To ask the Minister for Finance if, in view of the fact that the public capital programme is equivalent to 7.5% of GNP, or some 21% of total Government spending, he has satisfied himself that enough public servants are working in a full-time capacity on infrastructure projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12533/05]

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for Finance if the Government considered redeploying public servants to assist with the procurement and project management of infrastructure projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12534/05]

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 91: To ask the Minister for Finance his estimate of the public capital requirement of his Department and its agencies including the OPW over the next ten years; the projects in excess of €20 million that may be procured during this period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12535/05]

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 92: To ask the Minister for Finance the names of persons in the private sector who have met with or advised him or his predecessors over the past seven years in any capacity on infrastructure projects to be supported by public expenditure; the details of those meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12536/05]

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide a broad description of each capital project considered by his Department over the past five years; when each project was first considered; when each project will be procured; when each will be completed; if each project will be part-financed by user charges; the number of public servants currently employed in the delivery of each project; the names of the consultants and advisers used to date in respect of each project; the titles of the consultancy reports carried out or in progress; the expenditure to date on each project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12537/05]

Photo of Brian CowenBrian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 88 to 93, inclusive, together.

On the totality of public capital programmes and projects, as the Deputy will appreciate, primary responsibility for managing capital programmes and the evaluation, planning and execution of infrastructure projects rests with line Departments and the relevant implementing agencies. This includes addressing capacity and resource requirements for programme and project management and delivery.

The Department of Finance's role is to agree with Departments, subject to the direction of the Government, the policy framework for capital programmes and projects, to make global provision through the multi-annual capital envelopes for the resources required and to put in place best practice guidelines for the appraisal and management of capital projects.

Line Departments and their agencies are primarily responsible for managing their programmes and projects within budget and in compliance with the policy framework and with guidelines laid down by my Department. In general, therefore, most Departments have delegated sanction to execute projects. My Department has a role in the sanctioning of resources for individual projects not covered by the delegated sanction given to line Departments or not within approved programme budgets. Line Departments in turn, generally act as the sanctioning authority for projects promoted by public bodies under their aegis.

On its own capital expenditure, my Department, given the nature of its business, has very little direct involvement in infrastructure projects. Information on those projects for which my Department is directly responsible, is outlined in this response. In line with the capital investment framework, my Department makes five year projections on an annual rolling basis in respect of the capital requirements on its Vote. Most of the funding is allocated for use by other Departments or bodies. In this context, these are the projected capital requirements for 2005-09: 2005 —€11.108 million; 2006 —€9.088 million; 2007 —€9.363 million; 2008 — 9.363 million; and 2009 — 9.363 million.

Given the eclectic nature of the capital programmes funded from my Department's Vote, funding requirements over ten years, as requested by the Deputy cannot be predicted but I do not anticipate any capital projects in excess of €20 million.

Details of capital projects, including staffing, for which my Department is directly responsible, are outlined below.

Subhead P — The Information Society fund provides a central mechanism to support Civil Service-wide e-Government requirements and also to respond to opportunities under the Government's new action plan for the information society, "New Connections", approved in March 2003. To date, capital projects funded from the information society fund have not been managed by my Department. One person is employed assessing project proposals to the information society fund from other Departments.

My Department is considering a proposal on a human resource management system in 2005. If successful this will be the first capital project managed by my Department from funds provided from the information society fund. It is expected that the project will be completed by 2007. No advisers or consultants have been engaged in respect of the proposed capital project to be managed by my Department and no reports have been created. The project would not involve user charges.

Subhead Q — Civil Service Childcare Initiative provides crèches for the children of civil servants in Dublin and regional centres. The project was first proposed and considered in budget 2001. The project is ongoing and will be complete when crèches have been provided in main centres of civil service population. No public servants are employed full-time on the project. The OPW has advised me on the project and no consultancy reports arise from the project and to date €4.396 million has been spent on the provision and fitting out of six crèches. User fees are charged by the operators of the facilities.

Subhead R — Procurement Management Reform provides for the implementation of the strategy for the implementation of e-procurement in the Irish public sector, which comprises procurement management reform including the establishment of a number of e-procurement systems, such as a tender management facility, a public procurement portal, electronic catalogue/s and a supplier register. The project was first considered in 2003 and is expected to be completed in 2009. To date €350,000 has been spent. One and a half public servants are employed in my Department managing the project. User fees will not be charged for the project. Currently, Millstream Associates and Fusio Limited act as consultants on the project and a document entitled Technical review of the e-tenders website 2003 has been prepared.

The number of public servants employed by my Department in a full-time capacity to assess, procure, project manage, or deliver capital projects is sufficient for the task and as such I have not considered redeploying staff within my Department. These projects have not given rise to meetings between me or my predecessors and persons in the private sector. Information on any consultancy advice received on these projects is as outlined above.

On the Office of Public Works, which is not funded directly or indirectly by my Department, my Department has asked that office to communicate to the Deputy the required information on its infrastructure projects, as it was not possible to include the information in this response in the time available.

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