Comprehensive Public Expenditure Programmes
The Minister said the pilot received a favourable response and that a broader programme-based publication, covering about 40 of the 45 programmes, was planned before the summer recess. Brennan welcomed the format and sought wider programme-by-programme budget figures; the Minister confirmed the publication timetable.
asked the Minister for Finance the responses he has had to the publication last year of comprehensive public expenditure programmes; when he proposes to publish a more complete version; and if he will issue the 1984 budget figures in this format.
Comment on this
The pilot publication of comprehensive public expenditure programmes received a very favourable reaction from interests as varied as employer and farming organisations, management consultants, independent research bodies, and public sector bodies. Useful comments were received from these sources, which my Department will draw on in developing the programme approach. Work is at present under way in my Department aimed at publishing before the summer recess a document which will extend the programme approach to a wider range of public expenditure than was covered in last year's publication. It is proposed to present expenditure data for both 1983 and 1984 in this document. I cannot give the Deputy the date of publication. It is contingent on work pressures in my own and in other Government Departments preparing the data.
Comment on this
I should like to compliment the Minister on the production of this comprehensive public expenditure programme which has added tremendously to the analysis of public expenditure here. Is the Minister telling the House that the Department are getting word back that this has been a success and that he will move as quickly as possible to present the budgetary figures, mainly the expenditure figures, programme by programme as opposed to the existing method? It is a valuable document and the sooner the House has it the better so that we can analyse public spending programme by programme and decide the programmes that are useful.
Comment on this
I can confirm what the Deputy has said. This year we will be in a position to cover about 40 programmes. That will leave some few programmes not covered by the comprehensive presentation. If I can find a way of covering them all I will do so this year, but I could not guarantee the Deputy that we will have them all covered this year.