Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 413: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the benefits which accrued from benchmarking with regard to the services provided to the general public by her Department. [40876/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The terms of reference of the Public Service Benchmarking Body requires it to have regard, in reaching its recommendations, to the need to support ongoing modernisation of the public service. In this context, under successive public service pay agreements, most recently under Towards 2016 , there is a requirement on public bodies to develop modernisation action plans and to report in advance of all phases of the pay agreement increases, on the progress made on these plans. In line with this obligation, the Department of Social and Family Affairs developed, and is implementing, a detailed modernisation action plan. The objective of the plan is to reflect the ongoing nature of the work of modernisation within the Department in order to meet its present needs and future requirements, particularly with regard to the services provided to the public.

The modernisation action plan builds on the programme of change and modernisation which the Department undertook under the previous agreement Sustaining Progress. It contains over 60 actions and was agreed with staff and union representatives through the Department's partnership structures. Under its change programme, the Department has implemented a wide range of modernisation initiatives including the development of major new computer systems, the achievement of substantial productivity gains through work process re-engineering and the provision of new customer focused service delivery initiatives.

Payment of the public service pay increase provisions of Towards 2016 is dependent on the verification of co-operation with flexibility and ongoing change, including co-operation with the implementation of the initiatives under the modernisation action plan. In assessing progress in this regard, the Public Service Performance Verification Group (CSPVG) has particular regard to the progress made in front-line service delivery. The Department has submitted four progress reports under Towards 2016 and on each occasion has satisfied the CSPVG on the progress made in achieving its modernisation objectives particularly with respect to service delivery.

In addition, the Department has an ongoing programme of customer consultation and has undertaken a number of customer surveys in recent years in order to obtain feedback on the level of services provided. In general, customers have indicated that they are satisfied with the service they receive from the Department. The Department has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to developing and enhancing its services to the public over many years and I am satisfied it will continue to do so in order to meet the needs of its increasing customer base.