Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 64: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if robust service level agreements between parent Departments and State bodies are now in place for all non-commercial State agencies. [3786/12]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 68: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the assessment and reporting mechanism he has put in place to enable Departments to continually assess the business case for the State bodies under their aegis. [3787/12]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 68 together.

The Government is committed to a programme of public service reform and improvement. The Deputies will be aware of the Government's plans to reduce the number of State Agencies. As a further part of reforms in this area, the Government has also decided to:

· Introduce "sunset clauses" when new bodies are created which will ensure that a new body will cease to exist after a predetermined date unless its mandate is specifically renewed.

· Ensure that Departments regularly review the continuing business case for all significant State bodies; and

· Require that robust Service Level Agreements are put in place as a matter of urgency by each Department with each of its State bodies.

Following the publication of the Government's Public Service Reform Plan of 17 November 2011, arrangements are now being put in place for each Minister to ensure that a business case continues to exist for the existence of the State Bodies under his aegis. Of course, State Bodies vary considerably in size, powers and purpose and they also take many forms and structures, including Government-owned companies, non-commercial service delivery bodies, advisory councils. Therefore, the form of the assessment that parent Departments will need to carry out in relation to their State bodies will reflect the function, size and budget of each body. My Department is developing guidance to assist line Departments in advancing this proposal and to ensure that best practices are uniformly adopted across the Public Service. A Reform and Delivery Office has been established within my Department to drive implementation and prioritisation of Public Service Reform.

Where there is a business case for the continued existence of a State body, the parent Department must ensure that it puts in place a Service Level Agreement between the parent Department and the body in question. Some Departments already have advanced arrangements in place in this regard and my Department is giving guidance to assist others.