Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

69. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the steps he will take to cut down on Departmental bureaucracy; if he will ensure that information is more freely communicated and shared across Government Departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39306/14]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Sustainable and far reaching Public Service Reform has been a key element of the Government's strategy to meet the challenges that have faced the country in recent years.  Public Service Reform will also continue to play a key role in our recovery. 

We published our first Public Service Reform Plan in November 2011.  A Progress Report on the Reform Plan was published in September 2012 and a second Progress Report was published in January this year (available at ).  These reports set out the significant progress that has been made on reform to date.  In January this year, I published the Government's second Public Service Reform Plan 2014-2016 (also available at ).  We will also shortly publish a Civil Service Renewal Plan setting out a new vision and strategy for the Civil Service.

Significant progress has been made on Public Service Reform in terms of reducing costs, improving productivity, new working arrangements, more online delivery of services, information sharing and development of shared services, to name just some areas.  We have placed particular emphasis on eliminating duplication, improving business processes and using more plain language to improve customer service.  For example, in recent years the Revenue Commissioners have reduced the administrative burden on businesses by 25%, saving over €85 million per year. We have also created the Ireland Stat website which aims to provide greater performance information and increased accountability in the delivery of public services.

The Government is committed to improving data-sharing between public service bodies to improve services, increase efficiency, and reduce bureaucracy and the administrative burden on services users.  Following a recent public consultation process, my Department is currently preparing the General Scheme of a Data-Sharing and Governance Bill to streamline the legislative arrangements for data sharing between public service bodies.

In addition, Open Data forms a core element of the Ireland's first Open Government Partnership (OGP) National Action Plan which was published in July.  An Open Data Portal was also launched by my Department in July () and currently contains 418 datasets from 45 public bodies.