Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 371: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the list of all proposals in the report of the special group on public service numbers and expenditure relating to his Department or to bodies or agencies under his remit which have been implemented to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13883/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Expenditure provisions for 2010 for my Department are set out in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2010 published by the Minister for Finance. These provisions have been determined in the context of the overall provision for public services, reflect the need to reduce public spending and, as indicated by the Minister for Finance in his Financial Statement on 9 December 2009, have been guided by the Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes. My Department, local authorities and related agencies are working to maximise outputs from the 2010 provisions through prioritisation, increased efficiency and lower procurement costs generally.

Recommendations in the Report relating to my Department are reflected in savings in administrative costs arising from reductions in public service numbers and pay; the reduced Exchequer contribution to the Local Government Fund (€226 million in 2010, in the context of wider developments relating to local government finance); the review of the EPA which has recently commenced; the ongoing rationalisation of agencies in the housing area; and policy developments concerning charging for treated water use and more extensive use of leasing to ensure overall housing output is maintained at the highest level possible. I have also announced details of the work of the Local Government Efficiency Review Group which, consistent with the approach in the Report, will look at the cost base and expenditure of, and numbers employed in, local authorities.