Written answers

Tuesday, 26 February 2013

Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Departmental Bodies

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will quantify and set out in itemised detail pertaining and relevant individually to each body and institution under his remit the €1 million he has stated he expects from savings that will be made initially across the institutions involved in the public sector reform programme which are funded from his Department's Vote group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9780/13]

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will quantify and set out in itemised detail the further savings he states he expects from the public sector reform programme of the cultural institutions under his remit over and above the €1 million he estimates in savings from that programme as the various cost-saving measures are implemented going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9781/13]

Photo of Jimmy DeenihanJimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 383 and 384 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Public Service Reform Plan published by the Government on 17th November 2011 outlined a series of rationalisation measures, some of which related to a number of the bodies funded from my Department's Vote Group. In this regard, my Department conducted a critical examination of the structure and operation of the bodies included in the Public Service Reform Plan and developed a comprehensive and practical approach to the implementation of the various Government Decisions in this area, which was endorsed by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

Summary documents which outline the main outcomes of this examination in relation to the relevant bodies and institutions have been published on my Department's website.

The Deputy should note that savings of €20 million in enhanced service efficiencies and value-for-money were targeted in the Public Service Reform Plan. In this context, it is expected that savings in the region of approximately €1m will be made initially across the institutions involved in the reform programme which are funded from my Department's Vote Group.

Savings are being made primarily in three key ways:

- Ending of payments to chairpersons and members of boards or advisory councils – it is expected that approximately €300,000 will be saved in this regard.

- Implementation of a programme of shared services between institutions, including, for example, in retail, security, marketing, procurement and storage – it is expected that approximately €150,000 per annum will be achieved.

- Provision of services by my Department to some institutions, including human resources services and financial services, thereby relieving those institutions of the need to incur a cost in accessing these services – creating estimated savings of €550,000.

My Department is working closely with the Directors of the relevant institutions and bodies to progress the reform programme and real progress is being made across all the bodies concerned.

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