Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 212: To ask the Minister for Education and Science 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. [3018/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Management Information Framework (M.I.F) project has been developed in this and other Departments over the past few years. The purpose of the M.I.F. is to improve public sector financial management.

In general the development of the MIF has contributed, in line with its objectives, to improved financial management, performance measurement and accountability. Overall financial service has been improved with greater efficiency in terms of processing financial transactions and accounts, higher levels of productivity, provision of better quality information to managers and improved customer service.

The work to date on implementing MIF in this Department has mainly focused on the installation, maintenance and development of a modern Financial Management System (FMS). The FMS replaced a mostly manual system and has substantially modernised the financial management of the Department. Further developments of the FMS were dependent on an upgrade of the system. This upgrade was completed recently and planned developments will proceed from 2008 onwards. The operation of the system is continually under review.

The information requested by the Deputy in relation to bodies under the aegis of the Department is currently being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.