Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 15: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the vote headings and sub-heading that he intends using for his own Department in the Estimates Volume; the full year baseline he is using to measure in spending under each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20322/11]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Estimate for my Department, which was this week presented by me to the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, has been restructured on a Strategic Programme basis, consistent with the presentation of the Annual Output Statements. This new format will align resources with the High Level Goals in the Statement of Strategy and the Programmes set out in the Annual Output Statement. The information has been supplemented with certain performance information - the inputs (costs), outputs and impact indicators associated with each Programme.

This new Estimates structure is intended to strengthen the type of useful information available to Dáil Committees, and help to develop a stronger focus on the performance of all organisations, including this Department, in keeping with the Government's agenda. Under this new Performance Budgeting format, there are two Strategic Programmes for my Department:

· Public Expenditure and Sectoral Policy Programme

· Public Services Management Policy Programme

Within these Programmes, the Estimate is further broken down in a streamlined subhead format, with administrative costs (both Pay and Non-pay) apportioned to each Programme, together with the more specific individual subheads of expenditure. All Deputies have received the complete Estimate for my Department, showing the full list of subheads under each Programme.

The functions reflected in the Estimate for my Department were previously performed in the Department of Finance (Public Expenditure and Sectoral Policy and Public Service Management Policy), the Taoiseach's Department (Public Service Reform) and, in the case of the centralised Employee Assistance Service, in a number of Departments. Accordingly, the 2010 Outturn for these functions will continue to be the baseline for spending comparatives. The Estimate for 2011 in respect of the Change Management Fund/Reform Agenda includes provision for a number of important (new and existing) reform-related projects, which will yield net cost efficiencies over the longer-term.