Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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257. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the main policy achievements of his Department since 27 June 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61655/22]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Throughout my tenure as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the staff of my Department have worked collaboratively on a wide range of policies and initiatives to deliver on the strategic goals set out in the Department's Statement of Strategy. This includes the strategic management of well-targeted and sustainable public spending and the negotiation and allocation of €85.9 billion of funding for 2023.

In addition to the Strategy implementation, my Department has also drafted policy in response to the global health pandemic, supporting an equitable, digital and green recovery, blended working arrangements, opening our country to those fleeing a terrible war and the cost-of-living crisis in an appropriate, considered and timely manner to continue to safeguard the sustainability of public expenditure.

Some of the main policy achievements over this period include:

- The publication of the revised National Development Plan (NDP) – the largest and greenest NDP in the history of the State with a particular focus on responding to the key issues of public housing provision and climate.

- The update of the Public Spending Code to strengthen our approach to capital expenditure management. This included the introduction of the External Assurance Process (EAP) and Major Projects Advisory Group (MPAG).

- The publication of the inaugural Public Service Innovation Strategy Making Innovation Real. Our Public Service. Delivering today, shaping tomorrow to guide innovation across the public service.

- The commencement of the Data Sharing and Governance Act 2019.

- The appropriate management of the public service pay bill in recognition of our public servants’ role in delivering crucial, quality frontline services and in response to the rising cost of living.

- Working collaboratively with other Departments in designing the Blended Working Policy Framework.

- The publication of Civil Service Renewal 2030, a ten-year strategy for the Civil Service, and the first three-year action plan under the strategy, Civil Service Renewal 2024.

- Agreement of new Cohesion Policy Legislative Package, enacted on 24 June 2021 through the EU Coordination and Structural Fund.

- Enactment of the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022.

- Amendments to the Public Works Contracts and tender templates to address the impact of the public health measures on public works projects and construction material price inflation with the publication of the COVID Cooperation Framework, revised guidelines for Professional Indemnity Insurance levels in Public Works Projects and introduction of the Inflation/Supply Chain Delay Co-operation framework.

- Promoting the Quality Customer Service Initiative across Government to improve service design, delivery and engagement with members of the public.

- Working together with the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Finance my Department was responsible for preparing Ireland’s National Recovery & Resilience Plan which was submitted to the European Commission in May 2021. The plan outlines 16 investments and 9 areas for reform under 3 priorities areas.

- As the Designated Body for managing and deciding on the Brexit Adjustment Reserve in Ireland, my Department co-ordinates Ireland's overall policy position on the Reserve under which Ireland received an allocation of over €1 billion, equivalent to just over 20% of the entire Reserve, making Ireland the largest single beneficiary.

- Publication of the Independent Review of the Distribution and Utilisation of National Lottery Funding.

- The publication of 12 Spending Review papers in 2022, following 37 papers in 2021 and 25 in 2020.

- Advancing Green Public Procurement whereby public authorities seek to source goods, services or works with a reduced environmental impact.

- Introduction of the Inflation Co-operation Framework for parties engaged under a public works contract.

- Embedding the Well-being Framework in a systematic way across government policy making in evaluating programmes and reporting progress as well as in setting budgetary priorities as an important complement to existing economic measurement tools).

- Reviewing legislation on ethics in public office which is nearing completion and will result in an amending Bill in the new year.

- Reviewing the legislative provisions surrounding Freedom of Information with a new Bill expected in the new year.

- Working to get the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022, which has completed Committee Stage in the Dáil, through the Oireachtas.

- Providing appropriate funding for a whole of Government response to meeting our climate ambitions and Housing for All targets.

- Through a continuum of measures this Department has proactively responded throughout the past year, and continues to do so, with targeted measures to alleviate cost-of-living pressures on households and exposed sectors of the economy.

Please note that full details in relation to the wide-ranging achievements of the Department in respect of its key objectives for 2020 and 2021 are set out in the Department of Public Expenditure Annual Reports, published each year on Gov.ie. Further details in relation to policy achievements in 2022 will be set out in my Department's Annual Report 2022, which will be published in Quarter 2 2023.

The 2020 and 2021 Annual Reports can be found at the following links:

assets.gov.ie/134835/161df9dc-c422-47c4-8f65-b0b9fffe2f33.pdf

assets.gov.ie/228322/cf7a63a8-6bda-43d2-9020-19ac6db63a37.pdf

A broad range of information and updates about the Department's key policy areas are published on its section of the website at the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-public-expenditure-and-reform/