Written answers
Tuesday, 3 October 2023
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
Civil Service
Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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272. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he intends to re-establish the civil service accountability board, as recommended by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach in a 'Ministers and Secretaries Act Report'; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42505/23]
Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Civil Service Accountability Board was established under the 2014 Civil Service Renewal Plan. It comprised a mix of senior Government ministers, including the then Taoiseach, senior civil servants and a number of external members selected following an expressions of interest process by the Public Appointments Service (PAS).
The Board met four times in total in Q2 and Q3 2015 and Q2 and Q4 2016 to carry out its terms of reference under the 2014 Civil Service Renewal Plan. Work on that Plan was completed with the publication of its fourth progress report which is available on the Gov.ie website and there are no current plans to establish a similar Board.
Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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273. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he intends to re-establish the performance review group, as recommended by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach in a 'Ministers and Secretaries Act Report'; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42506/23]
Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Performance Review Group (PRG) was established in 2016 to oversee the Secretary General Performance review process, which was a priority action of the Civil Service Renewal Plan 2014 (Action 12 – Design and implement a robust performance review process for Secretaries General). This ensures the development of a high performance leadership cadre and assure that performance is managed consistently throughout the Civil Service, irrespective of grade.
The group has three members comprising of the Secretary General of Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, an external member and the Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach.
The Secretary General Performance Review is an annual process designed to provide greater clarity on the specific objectives a Secretary General commits to delivering or progressing over a 12-month period. The process provides a formal means of ensuring that there are strong and effective feedback mechanisms in place in relation to individual performance. This clarity benefits the system as a whole, at political and administrative levels, and for the individual Secretaries General. The PRG has been operating in this capacity since 2016.
Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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274. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to provide, in tabular form, a list of Secretaries General; their relevant Departments; the date they were appointed to their current position and, where applicable, granted a three-year extension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42554/23]
Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The table below reflects the dates of appointment by Government of Secretaries General in Government Departments.
| Department | Name | Date of appointment as Secretary General | Extension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, Food and the Marine | Brendan Gleeson | 02-Oct-18 | n/a |
| Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth | Kevin McCarthy | 19-Dec-17 | Appointed to D/CEDIY from January 2022 until December 2027 |
| Defence | Jacqui McCrum | 24-Aug-20 | n/a |
| Education | Bernadette McNally | 20-Feb-22 | n/a |
| Enterprise, Trade & Employment | Declan Hughes | 01-Jun-23 | n/a |
| Environment, Climate and Communications | Oonagh Buckley | 02-Sep-23 | n/a |
| Finance | John Hogan | 08-Jun-21 | n/a |
| Foreign Affairs | Joseph Hackett | 01-Sep-21 | n/a |
| Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science | Colm O’Reardon | 09-Sep-23 | n/a |
| Health | Robert Watt | 26-Apr-11 | Term extended by 3 years in April 2018. Appointed to D/Health in April 2021 for a 5 year term |
| Housing, Local Government & Heritage | Graham Doyle | 01-Nov-15 | Appointed to D/HLGH in July 2020 for 7 year term |
| Justice | Oonagh McPhillips | 09-Sep-20 | n/a |
| Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform | David Moloney | 24-Aug-21 | n/a |
| Rural and Community Development | Mary Hurley | 15-Mar-22 | n/a |
| Social Protection | John McKeon | 23-Jul-17 | n/a |
| Taoiseach / Secretary General to the Government | John Callinan | 03-May-22 | n/a |
| Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media | Katherine Licken | 20-Jan-17 | n/a |
| Transport | Ken Spratt | 15-Dec-20 | n/a |
Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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275. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the percentage of civil servants employed at higher grades (assistant principal or higher); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42555/23]
Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As of 31 August 2023, the most recent available data, there are a total of 45,593 full-time equivalents (FTEs) employed in the Civil Service, of which 8,252 FTEs (18.1%) are employed in the grade of Assistant Principal or higher.
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