Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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95. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the revised public spending code relating to the appraisal and management of public capital projects will be published; his plans to strengthen the existing guidelines and improve appraisal, cost estimation and management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39448/19]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As part of the ongoing reform of Ireland’s public investment management systems, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is updating the Public Spending Code. The purpose of this update is to strengthen the existing guidance to better align with the realities of project delivery and with a particular focus on improved appraisal, cost estimation and management. The Office of Government Procurement is conducting a review of construction procurement which will align with the updated Public Spending Code.

The updated Public Spending Code includes the following reforms:

-Strengthened and harmonised capital appraisal guidance;

-Greater clarity on governance and roles and responsibilities;

-New mechanisms to improve the accuracy of cost estimates;

-Improved project life cycle to better reflect the realities of project delivery; and

-Increased transparency through publication of business cases and evaluation reports.

The revised central elements of the Public Spending Code relating to the appraisal and management of public capital projects will be published this Autumn. Further technical guidance building upon these central elements will follow later in 2019 and in 2020.