Department of Finance - Government of Ireland

Taoiseach's Vote Group
Commentary

Department of the Taoiseach (Vote 3)
The Department of the Taoiseach identified savings across a range of subheads to reach its pre-Budget target.

Bodies with a National Economic and Social Remit
Legislation will be published shortly to provide for the establishment of NESDO (National Economic and Social Development Office). This legislation will place the National Economic and Social Council (NESC), the National Economic and Social Forum (NESF), and the National Centre for Partnership and Performance (NCPP) on a statutory basis as part of a single Office. The Office will comprise the Chairpersons and Deputy Chairpersons of these three bodies.

The establishment of NESDO should facilitate the elimination of unnecessary duplication of overheads and administrative costs of the three bodies (NESC, NESF and NCPP). It should also allow the bodies to maximise the degree of complementarity between their respective work programmes and the sharing of ideas and databanks, while recognising the bodies’ specific contributions. In light of the above, the Committee believes that a further reduction of €0.4m on the Department of the Taoiseach’s figures is possible.

Other votes in the Taoiseach Group
The remaining Votes in the Taoiseach Group consist mainly of Administrative Budget expenditure. The Committee did not examine the proposals submitted by these Offices. The Committee received an overall briefing from the Secretary General, Public Service Management & Development Division of the Department of Finance on the bids received and accepted the proposals of the Department of Finance in this regard.

Taoiseach Vote Group
Summary of Committee's proposals
2002 REV (Amended Estimate)			156.77
Gross ELS figure for Vote Group			128.18
Gross Pre-Budget target (PBT) for Vote Group			123.20
Savings below ELS required to reach Pre-Budget target (share of €900m)			4.98
Gross savings proposed by the Committee to contribute to €900m target			3.38
Proposed Revised Gross Allocation (as per Table 1)			124.80
Proposed Revised Gross Allocation following transfer of Millennium functions (as per Table 2)			123.63

		€m	€m
Estimate bid submitted by the Taoiseach Vote Group (in line with pre-Budget target)		123.20	2003 proposed allocation for each subhead
(D/Taoiseach bid figure includes Millennium funding)
*Plus additional pressures* *which the Committee accepts must be met:*

CSO	Administrative subheads	3.70
	Total Additions	3.70

	*Estimate bid including pressures*	126.90

*Less savings* *proposed by the Committee*

Dept of the Taoiseach
A	Administrative Budget efficiency dividend	0.29	16.20
B.H, N, I	Maximise efficiencies across NESC, NCPP, NESF & NESDO (E)	0.40	2.46
	Subtotal	0.69

CSO	Administrative Budget efficiency dividend	0.61	33.33

Attorney General	Administrative Budget efficiency dividend	0.24	11.49

DPP	Administrative Budget efficiency dividend	0.20	9.99

Chief State Solicitor	Administrative Budget efficiency dividend	0.36	17.78

	Total savings	2.10

	Proposed Revised Gross Allocation	124.80

	(E) refers to Estimating Savings

Proposed Revised Gross Allocation following decisions of Committee			124.80

Transfer to D/Foreign Affairs of Millennium funding			1.172

Proposed Revised Gross Allocation post transfer of functions			123.63