Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 140: To ask the Taoiseach when the value for money review of the National Economic and Social Council, National Economic and Social Forum and the National Economic and Social Development Office was completed; the value of the saving to the Exchequer generated by the implementation of the conclusions from this report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33808/07]

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the implementation of the Government's Value for Money Review and Policy Review Initiative, my Department is undertaking a review of the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) and its constituent bodies — the National Economic and Social Council (NESC), the National Economic and Social Forum (NESF) and the National Centre for Partnership and Performance (NCPP). This Review was deferred under the first round of expenditure reviews while the legislation establishing NESDO as a statutory body was put in place. The provisions of this legislation came into effect on 1 January, 2007.

Since then, a steering group, chaired by my Department, has been established to oversee the Review, terms of reference have been agreed and work is now underway. It is envisaged that the Review will be completed in the first half of 2008. In line with the objectives of the Value for Money and Policy Review initiative, the Review will analyse in a systematic manner what is being achieved by Exchequer spending and will provide a basis on which more informed decisions can be made on priorities. More specifically, the Review aims:

to analyse the outputs of the grant-in-aid funding provided to NESDO;

to determine the impact on the development of public policy in line with the objectives of the Department of the Taoiseach and other relevant public organisations for NESDO; and

to inform future funding, administration, structural and policy decisions in relation to NESDO.