Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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32. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the way in which the work of his Department on gender quality budgeting will be monitored and inputted into the final programme for the budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10467/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The ongoing work in my Department regarding equality and gender budgeting flows from the Programme for a Partnership Government commitment to develop the process of budget and policy proofing as a means of advancing equality, reducing poverty and strengthening economic and social rights. This is also a commitment within the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020.

In line with the international best practice in this area, the intention is to ensure that an equality perspective is integrated within the budgetary process rather than being a separate process.

There is currently a pilot cycle of equality budgeting which focuses on a number of diverse expenditure programmes already in existence across a range of Departments.  The Departments participating in the pilot conducted an assessment of the chosen policy areas with a view to defining high level equality objectives and performance indicators for the policies in question. These objectives and performance indicators were outlined in the 2018 Revised Estimates Volume (REV), which was published in December last year. The 2017 Public Service Performance Report, which is currently in preparation, will contain an update on the progress and steps that are being taken by these Departments to work towards realising their objectives. 

An expert advisory group is also currently being established which will provide advice on the most effective way to advance the initiative. Alongside this we will also continue to work supporting Departments to develop the skills necessary to successfully equality proof policies.

Equality budgeting forms part of the broader expenditure management framework that is focussed on efficient, effective, sustainable and impactful public spending. This has guided our approach to the Spending Review process, that over a three year period is looking to examine the totality of day to day Government spending.  The approach being adopted with the equality budgeting initiative flows from this approach, where we look at existing spending programmes from the equality perspective, rather than just having a focus on the incremental budgetary changes. Building the equality budgeting metrics into the REV, with subsequent reporting on delivery in the Public Service Performance Report will support both ex ante and ex post assessment from an equality perspective.