Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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3189. To ask the Minister for Health the last occasion on which a Department-wide review of all funding within his Department took place; the frequency of such reviews; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40638/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Reviewing funding requirements and analysing financial performance is a continuous year-round process which the Department successfully performs, in conjunction with its stakeholders.

The starting point for reviewing funding requirements in the Department of Health is the estimates process. The Department's Financial Performance Unit consults with DoH Policy Units and the HSE to identify areas of priority for the next year and establish funding requirements for the next calendar year. Similar discussions take place between the Capital Infrastructure Unit in the Department and HSE Estates to establish capital funding requirements within the context of the ongoing National Development Plan, which is continually reviewed in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Line units with oversight of other health agencies liaise with them to establish the priorities and requirements for each agency. This is communicated to the Vote Management Unit. Within the Department, the Vote Management Unit and Accounts Unit liaise with budget holders within the Department to establish the non-agency requirements of the Department. This ensures that a full Department-wide review is carried out.

An analysis of all requirements and further discussions with stakeholders takes place before the Department submits its request for funding, in the estimates process, to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER). Bilateral Negotiations take place involving both Ministers and Departmental officials from the two Departments to reach a Budget Settlement. Once this is concluded the estimates book and budget materials are prepared.

Subsequent to the budget, the Minister issues a Letter of Determination to the HSE setting out the maximum net expenditure for current and capital that the HSE may incur. The HSE then submit a draft National Service Plan Service Plan, based on the Letter of Determination, to Minister for approval.Throughout the year, the how available funding is spent by the HSE is continually monitored by the Department through reviews of monthly financial reports and regular dialogue between the Department and its counterparts in the HSE. Officials from the Departments of Health and Public Expenditure and Reform, and the HSE meet at the Health Budget Oversight Group on a monthly basis to review the performance of funding allocated and identify issues currently arising or which may arise in the future. Many other meetings take place between officials from the Department of Health and both the HSE and DPER during the month to ensure that a comprehensive analysis of funding and expenditure is carried out.

In relation to non-HSE agencies, Oversight and Performance Delivery Agreements are put in place between the Department and agencies to monitor how funding is spent. These agreements include provision for the Department to review performance against budgeted funding and non-financial performance indicators throughout the year.

In relation to the Department’s non-agency expenditure, monthly reports are provided to budget-holders to enable an ongoing dialogue over the course of the year. This enables effective monitoring of expenditure.

Each month the Department submits estimates and final returns of all Departmental expenditure to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. This is a monthly Department-wide review of funding and performance by subhead. The total figures are published by the Department of Finance in the Fiscal Monitor. The Department also provides monthly reports as part of an ongoing dialogue with the Parliamentary Budget Office to assist them in their analysis of Departmental expenditure in support of the work of parliamentarians.

So in summary, the Department reviews how funding is utilised each month within the overall annual envelope of funding provided to the Department in the estimates process. The findings of these reviews inform decisions over funding in the annual estimates process outlined above.