Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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294. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will clarify a matter in relation to public service reform (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2418/14]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I am happy to welcome any submissions  from the public at any time on the subject of Public Service Reform or any other area of Government policy that I am responsible for. Submissions can be sent to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Government Buildings, Upper Merrion Street, Dublin 2 or emailed to .

In addition, my Department has run a number of formal public consultations on specific areas of policy, including several reform initiatives. For example, consultations were held in respect of the Government's proposals for the regulation of lobbying and on Ireland's participation in the Open Government Partnership.

In this regard, the Deputy may be interested to know that on 9 January, I published a public consultation paper, 'Strengthening Civil Service Accountability and Performance'. The publication of this paper is intended to initiate a wide and extensive process of public consultation, the aim of which is to bring about more effective accountability arrangements in the Civil Service. A notice seeking the views of citizens on the reform options set out in the consultation paper or more generally on the issue of Civil Service accountability has been placed in national newspapers. Submissions may be forwarded no later than 31 March 2014 by email to or in hard copy to the Government Reform Unit, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, 7-9 Merrion Row, Dublin 2. Full details on the consultation process are available on my Department s website, www.per.gov.ie. An Independent Panel on Accountability, chaired by Professor Kevin Rafter, DCU, will manage and oversee this public consultation process, review submissions received, and also through the Panel's own review and examination of relevant issues develop recommendations for my consideration by end May.