Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

55. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the estimated cost of the introduction of equality budgeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46227/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As part of a suite of reforms to the public expenditure framework, performance-based budgeting was introduced across all areas of public expenditure in 2012. Under that remit an Equality Budgeting pilot for 2018 was announced on Budget Day last year. The approach we have taken in introducing Equality Budgeting in Ireland is that equality budgeting is to be integrated into the existing budgetary process. Therefore, equality budgeting is contained within the existing performance budgeting framework and utilises the processes already in place. Consequently, the costs regarding equality budgeting form part of the overall costs of the wider budgetary framework.

Some travel costs directly linked to equality budgeting are identifiable. To establish the most appropriate equality budgeting policy for Ireland we examined a number of other countries experience to establish international best practice. In this regard, officials from my Department attended OECD conferences at an approximate cost of €6k.