873. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to publish the “efficiency and reform proposals” which his Department requested from each Government department, and were due to be submitted on 17 July 2026, with immediate effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55556/26]

874. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to outline the impact of the “efficiency and reform proposals” that he has requested from each Government department on public services; to provide detail on where public service delivery will be impacted as a result of these spending cuts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55557/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 873 and 874 together.

My Department wrote to Secretaries General of other Departments in April this year following the Government decision to apply an expenditure levy. This letter informed Departments of the need to identify efficiencies and reforms and that these proposals would form a key element of the Estimates 2027 discussions. These discussions are all part of the ongoing deliberative process for Budget 2027. The reform and efficiency submissions from Departments will be published following Budget Day this year.

Budget 2027 will continue to place a focus on the delivery of reforms and efficiencies and the achievement of value for money. It will build on the work undertaken as part of Budget 2026 in this regard. Part II of the Expenditure Report 2026 set out details of selected reforms and efficiencies for each Vote Group. Similarly, the Expenditure Report 2027 will also set out selected efficiencies and reforms for each Vote Group.

The delivery of reforms and efficiencies reflects the need to moderate the rate of expenditure growth across other Departments to facilitate Government’s decision to reprioritise and provide additional investment to the Education sector within the agreed overall fiscal framework out to 2030. Delivery of the Medium Term Fiscal Structural Plan (MTFP) over the medium-term horizon will require enhanced expenditure control and robust oversight mechanisms.

It is the responsibility of each Accounting Officer to manage expenditure within their allocations approved by the Dáil. It is essential that Departments actively pursue efficiencies and reforms to identify savings within their allocations, and to ensure that the significant resources allocated to them are used to efficiently and effectively deliver high-quality public services and supports.