Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 587: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the benefits which accrued from benchmarking with regard to the services provided to the general public by his Department. [40869/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, the initial benchmarking exercise was undertaken within the context of the provisions on public service modernisation in the PPF. As stated in the programme, the parties were committed to full and ongoing co-operation with change, continued adaptation and flexibility and the delivery of the modernisation programme in the public service. Consequently, the payment of the second, and subsequent phases of the increases recommended by the Public Service Benchmarking Body were dependent, in the case of each Civil Service organisation and grade, on verification, by the Civil Service Performance verification Group (CSPVG), of co-operation with flexibility and ongoing change, satisfactory implementation of the agenda for modernisation, maintenance of stable industrial relations and absence of industrial action in respect of any matters covered by the PPF's successor, Sustaining Progress.

Progress Reports on my Department's Action Plan submitted to the CSPVG are available on the Department of Finance website.

Benefits which have accrued to the general public under my Department's Modernisation Programme include:

The establishment of the State Examinations Commission;

The establishment of the National Council for Special Education;

The establishment of a Regional Office Network within the Department;

The integration of services at Primary and Post-Primary level;

The roll out of the On Line Claims system — the Department's e-Government project;

The transition to Whole School Evaluation as the main form of inspection;

The publication of school inspection reports;

The use of generic designs to streamline the delivery of building projects;

Improved planning — establishment of Area Development Plans;

Establishment of the National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS);

Implementation of the Department's action plan for addressing educational disadvantage — Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS);

Implementing the Department's commitments as outlined in 2005-2008 scheme under Section 11 of the Official Languages Act.