Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 190: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the review processes that have taken place or she has requested to be undertaken in respect of the budgeting, financial and reporting systems within her Department and agencies; the costs incurred to date; the expected total costs; the deadlines that have been imposed for such reviews; if she will make the reports' findings public; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3013/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has a well developed management information framework, the main component of which is the SAP R3 Accounts system which was introduced into my Department in 2001. Additional modules were added in 2003 and the system was updated in 2006.

Apart from facilitating the efficient processing of payments and the production of the annual Appropriations Account and other statutory accounts, the system includes a management reporting module which is available to management at all levels. Management reports, including information on administrative and programme expenditure, as well as non-financial performance indicators, are examined at every meeting of my Department's Management Advisory Committee in order to monitor progress and manage programme delivery.

The availability of systems of this nature has long been regarded as a priority in my Department. The system is under constant review and necessary changes are made incrementally as new statutory obligations or business needs arise. For example, the system has been adjusted to produce new statutory accounts and reports which are required from 2007 under the CAP Financing Regulations while fisheries functions are now being integrated into the system. Apart from on-going adjustments of this type, there are no formal reviews of the system under way at present.

State Agencies are responsible for their own internal management information systems. My Department has reporting requirements in place to supervise and monitor the activities of the relevant State bodies under the aegis of the Department. These procedures are also subject to on-going review. There are no formal reviews under way at present.

Finally, the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General is undertaking a Value For Money review of the impact of the Management Information Framework across the Civil Service. My Department has been selected for participation in a pilot phase and will be co-operating fully with that review.