Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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787. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the specific metrics being used to evaluate the success of public service reform initiatives; to provide data available on the performance indicators; their targets; and the current status against these targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40942/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department published the Public Service Performance Report 2024 (available on gov.ie) last month. This is the 9th annual Public Service Performance Report (PSPR). The PSPR is a key policy document in the Budgetary Cycle. It is an annual review and comprehensive account of the delivery of public services against commitments set out in the Revised Estimates Volume (REV) for the preceding year. The Report provides a clear and accessible picture of how public funds have been allocated, how these funds have been used and the impact of this public spending. In recent years a series of budgetary reforms have been introduced that contributed to the development of Ireland’s performance budgeting work and performance framework. Performance Budgeting is the systematic use of delivery or ‘performance’ information to strengthen the link between budget allocations and the delivery of results. More recently, the development of the performance framework has placed an increasing focus on policy goals and the impact of public policy on people’s lives through Equality Budgeting, Green Budgeting and Well-being Budgeting.

Regarding capital expenditure, the National Development Plan and National Planning Framework combine to form Project Ireland 2040 – the government’s long-term overarching strategy to make Ireland a better country for all and to build a more resilient and sustainable future. The strategy ensures the alignment of investment plans with the stated National Strategic Objectives for 2040 in a considered, cohesive and defined manner. Progress is monitored through regular updates of the Project Ireland 2040 capital investment tracker and the MyProjectIreland interactive map viewer, as well as through the publication of annual reports and regional reports highlighting Project Ireland 2040 achievements and giving a detailed overview of the public investments that have been made throughout the country.

Better Public Services provides the overarching strategy for transformation of public services bodies out to 2030 towards the shared vision of inclusive, high quality and integrated service provision that meets the needs and improves the lives of the people of Ireland. The three pillars of the strategy are; Digital and Innovation at Scale; Workforce and Organisation of the Future; and Evidence Informed Policy and Services designed for and with our public. Public Service Bodies are asked to identify and prioritise transformation actions in line with the framework, to align relevant policy and strategy with the framework and to report on progress in their annual reports. The Public Service Transformation Framework outlines six overarching outcomes as follows; Increased customer satisfaction; Increased public trust; Greater use of digital to do business with the Public Service; Greater employee engagement; Improved quality of public services; Better government effectiveness.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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788. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to provide statistics on the uptake of digital services by Irish citizens over the past three years; the types of services most frequently used; the demographic information on users; the observed changes in service delivery efficiency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40943/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Better Public Services, published in May 2023, is a strategy to transform the delivery of public services and build trust. The vision of the strategy is to deliver inclusive, high quality public service provision that meets the needs and improves the lives of the people of Ireland. The strategy is framed around three core themes within a Public Service Transformation Framework one of which is Digital and Innovation at Scale which provides the strategic direction of reform to 2030 in this key area. All Government Departments and Public Service Bodies have an important role to play in realising the ambition of the strategy. Under each theme, Departments and Public Service Bodies are asked to identify and prioritise key actions in their corporate strategies, align the delivery of reform priorities in their business plans, and report on progress in their annual reports. My Department is leading a number of flagship programmes in collaboration with Government Departments and public service bodies to work towards achieving the ambition we have for Digital and Innovation at scale. These include developing a strategic roadmap and implementation plan for public service digital transformation (2025-2030) building on the progress made in delivering digital services in recent years; development of a Government Digital Wallet and Life Events Portal and recent publication of the Guidelines for the Responsible Use of AI in the Public Service.

My Department carried out a digital public services survey in 2022 amongst those aged 16+ via both Public Consultation and via independent survey parallel through RED C. The consultation was aimed at individual users or their representatives who access public services in a personal capacity for themselves, family or households and for those who wish to access public services related to setting up a business.

Follow on CATI research was then conducted amongst some participants of the Public Consultation who ‘opted in’ to participation in the research. The purpose of the research was to further investigate the online services used by the public and to identify priority areas for improvement.

Some key statistics include:

• Over half of the 16+ population uses government services at least 5+ times per year, with vast majority being via online.
• Although not used as frequently as some other services, the most widely used online public service, by far, relates to tax.
• Social protection, Health, Gov.ie and other services feature less prominently by comparison.
• Use of public services online correspondents with age, with older ages more likely to rely on offline means, but still overwhelmingly favouring online.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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789. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform what data is available on the cost-benefit analysis conducted for major infrastructure projects in Cork County, including the methodologies used, the projected versus actual economic benefits; what can be learned from these analysis for cost saving; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40945/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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As Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, I am responsible for setting the overall multi-annual capital expenditure ceilings for each Ministerial Vote Group as set out in the National Development Plan and Project Ireland 2040. My Department is also responsible for maintaining the national frameworks within which Departments operate to ensure appropriate accounting for and value for money in public expenditure such as the Infrastructure Guidelines. The Infrastructure Guidelines set the value for money requirements and guidance for evaluating, planning and managing capital projects. Management and delivery of investment projects and public services within allocation and the national frameworks is a key responsibility of every Department and Minister.

Under the Infrastructure Guidelines, when evaluating potential capital projects, economic appraisal is required for all capital projects with an estimated cost greater than €20m. For those projects less than €20m, Approving Authorities should engage with Sponsoring Agencies as to whether an economic appraisal is required and the appropriate type of economic appraisal. This is set out in sector-specific guidance where relevant, which are prepared by funding Departments/Accounting Officers to meet the specific requirements of their sectors while being in line with the Infrastructure Guidelines.

The economic appraisal assesses the desirability of a proposal from the broader societal perspective. This form of appraisal differs from financial appraisal because financial appraisal is generally focused primarily on cashflows and is done from the perspective of a particular stakeholder such as the Sponsoring Agency or the Exchequer. Economic appraisal takes a wider view in analysing the costs and benefits of a project and considers non-market impacts which may not a clear monetary value such as impacts on health, potential time savings, effect on the environment etc. The economic appraisal also takes account of the level of deadweight and displacement associated with a proposal.

Under the Infrastructure Guidelines, the recommended methodology for conducting economic appraisal where possible is a comprehensive Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA). However, in some instances, a CBA may not be possible and provided there is sufficient justification provided, other methodologies such as Cost Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) and/or Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) may be more appropriate, provided they adhere to best practice and are supported by a robust evidence base.

Ultimate responsibility for the management and evaluation of a project, including the choice of methodology, is with the Accounting Officer of the relevant Department and is a matter for them to be satisfied that all aspects of the project, from conception to completion, are compliant with the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines and the relevant sectoral guidance.

It is the responsibility of the relevant Accounting Officer to publish the business cases of projects as they progress through the different Approval Gates within the project lifecycle. The provision of data in relation to the economic appraisal of individual infrastructure projects is also a matter for the relevant funding department.