James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 56: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the initiatives he plans to achieve public service reform. [15644/08]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 58: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will make a statement on the OECD report on the public service here and the proposals he will bring forward on the basis of its recommendations. [15595/08]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 58 together.

Last year the Government asked the OECD to carry out a review of the Irish Public Service. The OECD was given two tasks: to benchmark the Public Service in Ireland against other comparable countries, including identification of appropriate measures to compare the productivity and effectiveness of the Irish system, or discrete elements of it, against comparable international best practice; and to make recommendations as to future directions for Public Service reform which will support the Irish Government's drive for delivery of world class services to the citizen, within existing resources commitment, and contribute to sustainable national competitive advantage. The OECD Review will be published next Monday. It will make a major contribution to the ongoing modernisation of the Irish Public Service. I and my colleagues will be giving careful consideration to its recommendations.