Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 151: To ask the Minister for Finance when the 12 point programme to improve value for money in public spending, announced by him on 20 October 2005, will come into operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33043/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am determined that the additional measures will be fully implemented in Departments and implementing agencies and I have also instructed my Department to engage with other Departments in relation to implementing them. I have also written to all Ministers asking them to ensure that their Departments take immediate steps, as appropriate, to implement the initiatives in areas under their remit. Follow-up work is under way in my Department in relation to updating existing guidelines and other necessary steps to ensure that all the measures are implemented in full.

The Deputy should note that these measures build on other initiatives introduced in recent years to improve the management of capital programmes and projects including five-year multi-annual budgets and revised guidelines for the appraisal and management of capital expenditure. The overall impact of these various developments has created a better framework for achieving value for money.