The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath TD, today (14th July) published the Public Service Performance Report 2019.

This report, now in its fourth year, builds on recommendations from the OECD and provides a comprehensive overview of the performance of the entire public service in 2019.

The primary purpose of the report is to show how investment in vital public services really impacts the people who need them. It represents a critical link between the spending decisions taken at Government level and the performance of public services on the ground. It does this by comparing targets to outturn for expenditure, staff, and outputs. Impact indicators are also presented, highlighting the impacts of public service activities on people and society.

Performance information is received from each Department, Agency and Office across Government and is collated in this report in a concise and accessible manner. It allows the reader to ascertain whether targets have been achieved, by presenting quantitative performance indicators in a dedicated and focused document.

The real test across the entire public service is whether supports are easily accessible for people who need them most. This report enables both the public and the Oireachtas to fully scrutinise the performance of the public service and offers a level of accountability to line Ministers and Departments.

Some of the highlights include the number of people who availed of a medical card in 2019 stood at over 1.5 million. Nearly a million students were provided with primary and post primary education. Nearly 2,000 Defence Forces Personnel were deployed overseas and 600 Garda members were recruited to bring the total membership to over 14,000. Of course, more needs to be done in various areas particularly in housing, homelessness and health.

Importantly the report also includes a comprehensive section on Equality Budgeting. This ensures that Government decisions are equality and gender proofed. Ireland is a republic with equality and fairness at its heart. It is crucial that we continually assess how the public service performs on these ideals. An Equality Budgeting Expert Advisory Group has been established to drive the roll out of Equality Budgeting across the public service.

On publication Minister McGrath said:

The Public Service Performance Report 2019 presents a high level overview of the work of the Departments, Offices and Agencies across the public services. It is critical that the public service in its entirety is focused on outputs that have a real impact for the people. We in Government make decisions on how resources are allocated and this report tests whether these decisions translate into real change for people on the ground who need public services and support. The report is laid out in a concise and accessible manner which will enable the public and the Oireachtas to scrutinise the performance of the public service.