John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 104: To ask the Minister for Finance the progress being made in relation to the implementation of the Croke Park agreement; if he will meet all targets within the timeframe required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10643/11]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Government is determined that public service management will be proactive and ambitious in delivering on the full range of productivity and change measures envisaged in the Public Service Agreement (Croke Park Agreement), and accepted as necessary by all parties to it. The Government is on record as saying that it would like to see an accelerated implementation of the ambitious reform agenda set out in the Agreement. Progress under the Agreement is overseen by the Implementation Body established in July 2010. The Body comprises the independent chair, Mr. P.J. Fitzpatrick, whose appointment was agreed by the parties, and nominees representing both public service management and the Public Service Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

In line with paragraph 1.16 of the Agreement, a review of implementation is to be undertaken on an annual basis by the Implementation Body to determine the sustainable savings that have been achieved. The first such annual review is currently underway. In the immediate weeks ahead, the Body will be assessing detailed submissions from each sector on the progress to date on delivering the actions set out in their sectoral Action Plans and well as details on sustainable savings achieved over the past twelve months. Arising from this review, the Body will finalise a comprehensive report which it is expected will be submitted to Government in the coming weeks and published shortly thereafter. As the Deputy will appreciate, it would be inappropriate to comment further on these issues pending receipt of this detailed report on progress from the National Implementation Body.