The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath TD, today (Thursday 5th November), published the second tranche of Spending Review papers as part of the 2020 Spending Review process.
The spending review is a key platform for generating evidence for policy making across the Civil Service. Supported by the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES), the process has become a focal point for the broad range of analysis ongoing across Government Departments.
Welcoming these reviews, the Minister stated:
As I set out on Budget day, now more than ever, we need to achieve value for money for Government expenditure. The reports we are publishing today represent in-depth, rigorous assessments of whether various policy programmes are achieving that aim. They cover a diverse range of topics across the areas of health, education, business supports, agriculture and climate action and the evidence they contain will be a vital input into ongoing policy formulation.
The Minister added
We have radically changed our approach to evaluating expenditure in recent years, moving away from “one off” comprehensive reviews to a rolling series of reports covering particular topics and programmes. This is underpinned by the Public Spending Code and investment in technical skills across Government Department in recent years, particularly through IGEES. Cumulatively this means that we now have at our disposal the skills to assist Government in driving reform, improving programme delivery and delivering better outcomes for our people.
The 17 papers published today, in addition to the papers published in the last number of years, are available on the Spending Review website.
Notes for Editors:
Summaries of Spending Review papers:
Introduction
Executive Summaries – Tranche 2 Publications
This document sets out the executive summaries for the second tranche of 2020 spending review papers.
Enterprise
State-Supported Loan Schemes
This paper reviews the state-supported loan schemes to clarify their stated objectives, examine the profile of recipients, assess the approaches and data needed for comprehensive evaluation, and to determine the potential implications of scheme design for the incentives of private lending institutions and borrowers.
Review of the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund
This review examines the rationale for State funding of funding disruptive technologies and profiles activity to date.
Civil and Public Sector Staffing, Pay and Pensions
Focused Policy Assessment: Paid Parent’s Leave Scheme
This paper is a cross cutting analysis designed to review the approach to meeting the requirements and policy aims of the EU Work-life Balance Directive.
Children
Tusla: Staffing and Workforce Planning
This paper addresses a number of key questions regarding Tusla’s pay and staffing experiences to date.
Climate Change
SEAI Energy Efficiency Grant Schemes
This paper examines the evidence available over the past ten years of Government support schemes for undertaking energy efficiency measures for the private household sector in Ireland.
Agriculture
Teagasc: Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Programme
This paper examines the progress of AGRIP towards objectives set and their alignment with sectoral targets as set out in Food Wise 2025.
DAFM Competitive Research Programmes
This paper seeks to evaluate the three Competitive Research Funding Programmes (CRFPs) administered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) for the period 2010-2017.
Defence
Expenditure on Overseas Peace Support Missions
This paper examines expenditure on overseas peace support missions.
Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
Assessment of the impact of Brexit and COVID19 on Údarás na Gaeltachta and its client companies
This paper sets out to examine the impact of Brexit and Covid19 on Údarás na Gaeltachta’s client companies.
Transport
Analysis of PSO Public Transport Programme and Performance
The paper provides an overview of Public Service Obligation (PSO) funding of public transport services.
Justice & Court Services
Toward Digitally-Enabled Court Services: Review of Investment in Courtroom Technology and the Creation of a Centralised Jury Summons Unit
The paper describes spending on courtroom technology from 2015 to 2019 and then examines the creation of a Jury Summons Office last year. The paper outlines the rationale behind the initiatives, highlighting some of the potential efficiencies associated with the use of modern technology and the productivity gains that can be achieved by the introduction of a single, specialised unit delivering services previously performed by local offices in each county.
Designing Performance Metrics in Policing
This paper highlights good practice identified in the literature review and employed in other jurisdictions regarding the selection of suitable performance indicators to measure performance.
State Property
Analysis of Covid Impacts on Commercial Office Market – Potential Implications for State Leases
This paper examines the emerging trends in the office rental market, office accommodation demand in the Civil Service and the potential impact of remote working on demand particularly noting the COVID-19 experience and the commitment to 20% remote working across public service as indicated in the current Programme for Government.
Health
Private Expenditure on GP Care in Ireland
This paper is an assessment based on available information aimed at informing the Department’s perspective for future policy developments and resulting expenditure considerations for the expansion of free GP care.
Housing
Analysis of Social Housing Build Programme
This paper focuses on the build delivery mechanism for social housing.