Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

317. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which he expects further reform to play a meaningful role in ensuring prudent expenditure and good value for money in the course of 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37077/20]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to inform the Deputy of significant reforms in the public sector that Government has brought about since the establishment of this Department. A core goal of this Department is to continue to deliver improved, cost-effective public services across a range of themes such as governance, accountability, procurement, shared services, organisational reform and property management.

The current framework for public service reform and innovation, Our Public Service 2020 (OPS2020), builds on earlier reforms while expanding their scope in order to accelerate the digital delivery of public services, deliver better outcomes for citizens, drive innovation and develop our people and organisations.

Notable examples of reform initiatives that have being delivered include:

- Transforming and driving Digital Delivery of Services, such as, for example, An Garda Siochana’s Active Mobility Service; Passport on-line; Library Service’s My Open Library initiative; Revenue Commissioners PAYE Modernisation programme; and the Gov.ie service platform.

- Driving the take-up of Robotic Process Automation through the dedicated Procurement Framework, which enables swift and easy draw down of licenses, supports and expertise to create efficiencies in back-office functions;

- Innovation: A €1m Innovation Fund has been established to support Public Service innovation projects; the establishment of a central Innovation Support Team; creation of a Public-Service wide Innovation Network and a Public-Service wide Innovation Week (held most recently on 19-23 October 2020); and the publication of a National Innovation Strategy, launched just last week, which focuses on making our public services more efficient and effective for the citizen.

- A significant strategic workforce planning initiative commenced in selected public service organisations;

- An initiative to support greater diversity and inclusion in our Public Service;

- Creation of a Public Service Leadership Board (PSLB) - at Secretary General equivalent level- supported by the Public Service Management Group (PSMG) to oversee the governance of reform efforts.

Reforms are also underway outside of the OPS2020 framework in organisations across the civil and public services. For example, the  programme of reforms set out in the 2014 Civil Service Renewal Plan to support a higher performing organisation continues to be embedded within the Civil Service. A number of budgetary reforms have also been introduced in recent years to guide minster’s decisions on overall fiscal policy, including fiscal rules, expenditure ceilings and spending reviews.

My Department has now begun consultations on developing a successor framework to OPS2020 and similar work is well-advanced in framing a further renewal plan for the Civil Service to 2030.  The vision and strategy underpinning this will focus on large-scale ambitious transformation to support greater cost-effectiveness through enhanced digital service delivery; developing our data infrastructure, and; building the workforce and workplace of the future following the extraordinary changes that are occurring as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic.