Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
Management Board Meeting
25 May – 12 midday
South Block – Secretary General’s Room
Agenda
1. Minutes of Meeting held on 18 May 2015
2. Key Policy Issues/Events of the week
3. Memoranda update
4. Risk Review
5. AOB
6. Corporate Issues – Allocation and Management of Human Resources
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
Management Board Meeting 25 May 2015
Attendance
Secretary General, Mr Moloney, Ms. Comerford, Ms O’Donohue, Ms. Hanlon, Mr. Quinn,
Mr. O’Leary, Mr O’Brien, Dr Quinn, Mr. Nolan, Ms. Martinez , Mr O’Keeffe, Ms Codd,
Apologies - Mr. Beausang, Ms. Murphy-Fagan, Ms Coleman
1.
Minutes of meeting held on 18 May 2015 – the minutes were agreed.
2.
Key Policy Issues/Events of the week – the Minister’s diary, Government Agenda, Dáil
and Seanad Schedules for the week were discussed. The Government meeting will be
held on Tuesday morning with the Economic Management Council (EMC) meeting on
Wednesday. Today is Cabinet Committee Day. Minister Howlin, Secretary General
Watt and officials are attending Cabinet Committees on Construction 2020, Housing,
Planning and Mortgage Arrears, Economic Infrastructure and Climate Change, Social
Policy and Public Service Reform, Justice Reform and Health. The Public Service Pay
Talks are continuing in Lansdowne House this week and despite some issues arising
good progress has been made. This morning Minister Howlin along with the
Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, announced the formal establishment of the Accountability
Board for the Civil Service. On Tuesday afternoon, Ministers Howlin, Noonan and
Harris will meet the European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs,
Taxation and Customs, Mr Pierre Moscovici, to discuss the economic and financial
outlook in Ireland and the Euro Area. On Wednesday, Minister Howlin with Secretary
General Watt will meet with Dr. Khleef Alkhawaldeh, Minister of Public Sector
Development in Jordan. The Minister will sign a Memorandum of Understanding
between the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Ministry of Public
Sector Development of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to foster mutual exchange
of information and views on Public Service Reform developments and initiatives. On
Thursday, Minister Howlin with the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny T.D., will launch the BMW
(Border, Midland and Western) Regional Operational Programme 2014 – 2020 in the
Northern Western Regional Assembly Headquarters in Ballaghaderreen. Also on
Thursday Secretary General Watt will speak at an Irish Government Economic and
Evaluation Service Open Policy discussion on distributional aspects of Public Policy.
Mr Moloney provided an update on Labour Market and Enterprise Policy Division
including the Cabinet Committee on Health, the IPHA Agreement and the Haulbowline
Memo.
Ms O’Donohue updated the Board for the Office of the Government Chief Information
Officer including the Digital First returns due this week from Departments and ongoing
work with the Financial Management Shared Services team.
Ms Hanlon provided an update for the Expenditure Policy, Management and
Evaluation Division including the Capital Review and expenditure planning, the
preparations for the National Economic Dialogue and the drafting of papers regarding
developments on fiscal transparency.
Mr Quinn updated the Board for the Office of Government Procurement including the
whole-of-government financial arrangements with Oracle, the ongoing work on the
Heads of a Bill and the preparations for this afternoon’s Cabinet Committee meeting.
Dr Quinn updated the Board for the Reform and Delivery Office including the
preparations for the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform,
the ongoing implementation of Civil Service Renewal and the visit by the Jordanian
Minister for Public Sector Development.
In Ms Coleman’s absence Mr O’Keeffe provided an update to the board for
Expenditure Management, EU Policy and Audit Division including an update on today’s
Cabinet Committee meeting, the Social Housing Strategy and the BMW Regional
Operational Programme.
3.
Memoranda Update – the list of memos was discussed by the Board.
4. AOB
-
Learning and Development Plan – Following an update from Ms Comerford the
Learning and Development Strategy 2015- 2107 was discussed by the Board.
-
PMDS – Ms Comerford provided an update to the Board on PMDS returns.
Next meeting to be confirmed