Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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9. To ask the Taoiseach the efficiency and reform proposals that his Department has submitted to the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation in response to their request for such proposals with a deadline of the 17 July 2026; the impact that these spending cuts will have on public services within his Department. [55544/26]

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of the Taoiseach maintains a constant focus on being a lean, agile organisation. The Programme for Government dictates the Department's priority work areas and resources are assigned and reallocated to align with those priorities.

The single biggest expenditure item for the Department is pay costs (approximately 70% of Gross Estimate allocation). The Department intends to resource new and expanding work areas by reallocating existing resources and, only where necessary, recruiting additional staff. Where such recruitment is necessary, secondment arrangements will be one of the main recruitment methods to ensure that (i) the necessary skills/experience gaps are filled in a way that does not result in a permanent increase in the Department’s headcount; and (ii) the sunsetting of relevant work programmes at the appropriate time is facilitated.

Within the last year, the Department has restructured its Corporate Services Division and reallocated staff to establish a new Strategy and Performance Unit dedicated to Strategic Planning, Compliance and Innovation. A key element of this Unit’s work is a programme of Business Process Improvement and Innovation with a view to delivering increased efficiency, effectiveness and improved service provision. This reform resulted in a saving this year of €10,000 with delivery in-house of a previously outsourced switchboard service which will contribute to the Department’s implementation of the levy.

The independent COVID-19 Evaluation is funded from the Vote of the Department of the Taoiseach. The Evaluation has approached its work in a phased manner aligned with its Terms of Reference. This work is expected to culminate in the delivery of a final comprehensive report by the end of 2026. The balance of the levy (€540,000) will be achieved through the effective and efficient wind-down of the COVID-19 Evaluation.

The Department will continue to engage fully and constructively with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation in relation to the 2027 Estimates process.