Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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567. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which he remains satisfied that public service reforms to date are sufficiently incorporated in the discharge of Government policies through various Departments with a view to ensuring maximum benefit and stability for the economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10589/21]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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587. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which the targets identified by his Department at budget time remain in line with expectations notwithstanding the impact of Covid-19 and or other issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20837/21]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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588. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which targets in respect of public expenditure for the year 2021 remain in line with expectations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20838/21]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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589. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the issues most likely to impact on his Department’s projections in respect of public expenditure and reform for 2021; the extent to which particular issues have been identified as challenging; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20839/21]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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595. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the degree to which various Departments remain in line with the targets and principles of public expenditure and reform set by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20845/21]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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596. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the degree to which his Department can continue to influence good practice in the context of public expenditure and reform; and the extent to which he expects these principles to have a beneficial impact on the economy in 2021. [20846/21]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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599. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which he remains satisfied that adequate measures have been taken in respect of public expenditure and reform to withstand the ongoing impact of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20853/21]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 567, 587 to 589, inclusive, 595, 596 and 599 together.

A number of reforms have been implemented in recent years to enhance Ireland’s budgetary framework and ensure the efficient and effective management of public expenditure. These reforms aim to increase transparency around the budgetary process and to facilitate meaningful dialogue around key elements of the Budget and on what is being achieved with public funds.

The Programme for Government commits to continue to reform and improve the Budgetary process and proposes that each Minister will be required to produce service improvement and reform plans in conjunction with my Department, within an overall context of an enhanced focus across Government on issues of well-being. In implementing the Programme for Government commitment in relation to a well-being framework, my Department will look to build on the budgetary reforms already in place and the significant work on public service reform already completed.

Budget 2021 outlined an overall Government Expenditure Ceiling of €87.8 billion. Of this, an amount of €82.4 billion has been allocated at a departmental level in the Revised Estimates for Public Services (REV) for 2021, with €5.4 billion set aside in reserve to respond to the impacts of Brexit and Covid-19 as required.

This reserve will partially be utilised to fund the extension of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) to the end of June. In addition, taking into account that expenditure on the PUP to the end of March is already €1.2 billion ahead of the amount allocated in REV 2021, the additional expenditure on the PUP and EWSS to the end of June will place a significant demand on the €5.4 billion of Contingency Funds set aside as part of Budget 2021.

In light of the exceptional funding being made available this year, it is critical that every Department and Minister ensure that expenditure levels are managed within the agreed allocations. Noting that this requirement applies to the additional expenditure allocated as part of the response to Covid-19 as well as core expenditure. To facilitate this, there continues to be regular reporting to Government on the levels of spending and monthly updates on the drawdown of funds from the Exchequer against expenditure profiles are made publicly available in the Fiscal Monitor published by the Department of Finance. My Department is also in regular contact with other Departments and Offices regarding management of expenditure within the overall fiscal parameters.

Finally, looking forward, the Government has also committed that there will be no cliff edge to the supports that have been put in place, recognising that it is essential that the appropriate measures are maintained to ensure that the necessary supports are in place to support the economy, workers and society to recover.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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568. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he expects to rely to a greater or lesser extent on reform as a means of achieving cost effective delivery of services and contracts; if he perceives any opportunities to expand, explore or redirect policies in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10590/21]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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590. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the degree to which reform continues to remain an integral part of policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20840/21]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 568 and 590 together.

I would like to thank Deputy for the question. The Deputy will be aware that a large programme of reform has been under way since the establishment of this Department in 2011.

Reform of public services will continue to play an integral role in this Department's function as we recover our economy and society from the colossal and pervasive impacts of the Covid19 pandemic. In fact, this Department is currently preparing the next phases of Public Service Reform (to succeed Our Public Service 2020) and a refreshed programme of Civil Service Renewal which will incorporate priorities that were articulated in the recently published Public Service Innovation Strategy, Making Innovation Real. I expect these strategies to be published during 2021. Furthermore, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer in my Department is also preparing a new Public Service Digital Strategy, which will be published in the coming months.

These new plans and strategies will reinvigorate the reform agenda and make certain that we capitalise on the positive changes that we have witnessed since the onset of the pandemic. These plans and strategies will also incorporate a number of Programme for Government commitments that will enable the Public Service to be more responsive to the future needs of our citizens and to be resilient to any similar economic shocks of this nature.

As regards the drive for greater efficiencies and the realisation of more cost-effective public services, all public organisations are required to treat public funds with care, and to ensure that the best possible value for money is obtained whenever public money is being spent or invested. Indeed, as part of Our Public Service 2020 (Action 5) there has been a continued emphasis on ensuring value-for-money principles are adhered to across the Public Service.

As part of this broader approach to ensuring value for money, the introduction of shared services and centralised procurement in earlier phases of reform have been further integrated in public service operations and expanded into new areas.

The programme for public procurement reform commenced in 2013 as part of the overall public sector reform programme. A new public procurement model was established to deliver a more-centralised model of procurement for commonly sourced goods and services across the public service. The Office of Government Procurement (OGP) was established in 2014 to drive the reform programme through the provision of policy interventions, advice and guidance, through the development of procurement solutions such as framework agreements, and through the analysis of public expenditure and tendering activity. Whilst the initial focus was to deliver value for money and savings for the Exchequer, an additional focus now, in line with international developments, EU priorities (Green Deal, digitalisation) and the new programme for Government, is on the strategic use of public procurement in promoting green, social and innovation policies.

These programmes will continue apace and this Department is actively exploring new areas and mechanisms to further embed reforms that will enhance the cost-effectiveness of public services; for example, through greater use of opportunities presented through intelligent automation, digitisation, innovation, the implementation of new ways of working and service design.

Finally, in respect of contracting arrangements and the reform agenda generally, Action 6 of Our Public Service 2020specifically outlines that Public Service Bodies should maximise the use of contracting arrangements such as innovation clauses, gainsharing pacts and the proper use of penalty sanctions to get the best value for the public. Not only is this in keeping with reform objectives, but this is central to the ongoing drive of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to ensure sound management of public expenditure generally through mechanisms such as the Public Spending Code. I expect that any future reform agenda will equally require the maximisation of the key priorities like innovation, digitisation and service design in future contracted arrangements.

The Deputy may wish to note that the final progress report for Our Public Service 2020will be published in the coming days and this will be made available on my Department's website.