Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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238. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on the newly launched Civil Service Renewal 2030 plan. [29419/21]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Civil Service Renewal 2030, a new ten-year strategy for the Civil Service, was launched on 21st May. In addition to publishing the strategy, the launch provided an opportunity to highlight a number of projects undertaken across the Civil Service which show the important work carried out by civil servants up and down the country, particularly in responding to the challenges the country has faced over the last 18 months.

The strategy provides an ambitious framework for the future for the Civil Service and its staff. It builds on the strengths of the Civil Service and the initiatives delivered under the first Civil Service Renewal Plan and provides a long term framework to continuously improve. It is focused on achieving meaningful outcomes for society, the Government and stakeholders.

The strategy’s vision is for ‘an innovative, professional and agile Civil Service that improves the lives of the people of Ireland through excellence in service delivery and strategic policy development’. It has three core themes: delivering evidenced-informed policy and services, harnessing digital technology and innovation, and building the workforce, workplace and organisation of the future.

The strategy’s development is the result of an extensive consultation process informed by experience and expertise from across the Civil Service. A Taskforce of senior officials, representing all of the Civil Service Management Board (CSMB) Departments and Offices, have shaped the Strategy. It also draws on evidence collected from staff engagement during the implementation of the first Civil Service Renewal Plan and the results of the 2020 Civil Service Employee Engagement Survey. It is also informed by the lessons learned in the six Organisational Capability Reviews completed to date and from the Civil and Public Service response to the challenges of COVID-19. The strategy acknowledges the environment in which the Civil Service operates and identifies important challenges facing the Civil Service now and in the future.

The strategy will be implemented through a cycle of three-year action plans and work is underway on the first plan which will set out the priorities for the next 3 years. The first action plan will be published in the autumn.