Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 260: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if his Department has carried out an efficiency savings analysis with a view to cutting out unnecessary costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30224/07]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Since the establishment of my Department in 2002, a number of mechanisms have been put in place in order to ensure that appropriate analysis is carried out in relation to programmes of expenditure and to achieve, inter alia, the elimination of any unnecessary costs.

Value for Money (VFM)/Policy Review Initiatives have been either carried out or are in progress in relation to a number of significant programme areas. These include

Improvement Schemes in the Gaeltacht;

the Capital Programme for Islands;

Ciste na Gaeilge;

the Drugs Initiative;

the Local Development Social Improvement Programme;

Leveraged Funding Schemes under CLÁR and RAPID; and

the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund.

In relation to administrative expenditure, the Internal Audit Unit of my Department has carried out a range of VFM reviews and has made provision for further such reviews in 2008 and 2009.

A Corporate Procurement Plan has been completed in my Department, incorporating an analysis of expenditure and recommendations for further development and streamlining of the procurement function.

My Department has a number of reporting, monitoring and oversight structures in place to facilitate the VFM process and indeed to support the other evaluation and assessment mechanisms that it has in place. These include MAC, the Senior Financial Management Group, the independent Audit Committee, the VFM Joint Steering Group, the Expenditure Committee and the Risk Management Steering Committee.

Overall, I believe that there is a strong evaluation culture in my Department, which extends to both programme and administrative expenditure.