Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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134. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will set out the value for money reports and the Focused Policy Assessments carried out within his Department since March 2011; the actions that have been taken to implement such reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28170/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Value for Money and Policy Reviews are designed to secure improved value for money from public expenditure by providing systematic analysis of expenditure programmes and policies to provide a basis on which more informed decisions can be made on priorities within and between programmes.

My Department has completed a number of Value for Money and Policy Reviews since March 2011, publishing two initial reviews on proposed mergers of bodies under the aegis of the Department (Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with ComReg, and Digital Hub Development Agency with Dublin City Council), and participated in a review of merger of the Ordnance Survey of Ireland, the Property Registration Authority and Valuation office, which has been led by the Department of Justice and Equality and is published on its website.

My Department also carried out a Value for Money Review on the proposal to introduce a Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) Household Charge. The independently chaired Review Group, which was established under the auspices of my Department, considered a range of issues in relation to the proposal, including the efficiency and effectiveness of the current licensing system. The Group's report has been submitted to me recently and I am now considering its findings in the context of the next steps to be taken in regard to introduction of the PSB Charge. I expect to be in a position, subject to Government approval, to initiate work in the autumn on the legislative and other work necessary to implement the household based Public Broadcasting Charge.