Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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372. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has in place in his Department's social policy and public sector reform division, any arrangements for acting on recommendations of the Comptroller and Auditor General which have cross public service implications. [27014/16]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I have in place in my Department in Government Accounting Unit robust and well-established arrangements for responding to the recommendations of the Comptroller and Auditor General which have cross-public service implications.

As the Deputy will be aware, when the Comptroller and Auditor General makes a recommendation relating to a Government Department or body under the aegis of a particular Government Department the recommendation is carefully considered and responded to in the first instance by the Accounting Officer of the individual/parent Government Department.

In his response the Accounting Officer of the particular Government Department will indicate to the Comptroller and Auditor General whether or not he/she accepts the recommendation and the steps they will take to address the particular issues identified by the Comptroller and Auditor General in his report.

Subsequent to this when the Committee of Public Accounts concludes its examination of the accounts and reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General the Committee presents its own report to the Dáil on the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

Most reports of the Committee of Public Accounts require a formal response prepared by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in consultation with the relevant Department and Office concerned.  This response known as the Minute of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform responds briefly to each recommendation contained in the Report of the Committee of Public Accounts.

All recommendations of the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Committee of Public Accounts are carefully considered. This response known as the Minute of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform indicates whether the recommendation is accepted, or rejected by the Minister.  When a recommendation is accepted, the response explains how it has been, or will be implemented by the particular Government Department.  When a recommendation is not accepted the reasons for this are set out in the response in order to assist the Committee of Public Accounts in determining whether they wish to write to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further on the matter.

When the Minute of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform response has been sent to the Committee of Public Accounts it is then incorporated into a Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular and circulated to the Accounting Officers of all Government Departments for their attention and any necessary action arising from the recommendations.

This process ensures that the recommendations of the Comptroller and Auditor General that have cross-public service implications are communicated widely across the public service to seek to ensure that all appropriate steps are taken in response to the Comptroller and Auditor General's recommendations.