FG Labour - A fig-leaf document on value for money
- The Fine Gael / Labour document on value for money, is just another fig-leaf for the lack of any real detailed programme for government between Fine Gael and Labour.
- There is very little new in what was been proposed this week. Rather it is a dressing up of initiatives that have largely been taken by the current government.
- Last year the Minister for Finance announced twelve key measures in this regard. All this week’s document does is dress them up and put some fancy titles on them. If it goes further, it is only to add new layers and levels of bureaucracy such as a Critical Infrastructure Commission.
- The truth is that everyone is agreed on the need to get value for money. Even Fine Gael and Labour agree on this, which is why they published the document.
- However that there is no agreed comprehensive programme for government from these two parties and nothing can disguise this fact.
- As has been pointed out before, two years after Enda Kenny promised a joint Fine Gael-Labour programme for Government within 18 months, the Irish people are none the wiser as to what such a Government would actually do if Fine Gael and Labour ever held office.
- For all their talk of accountability and scrutiny, the opposition seem very reluctant to impose such standards on themselves. ‘Lord, make me accountable but not yet,’ seems to be their position.
- Incredibly they talk of some ‘Strategic Reserve Fund’ which would take two per cent of public spending, yet the Labour party opposed the creation of a National Pension Reserve Fund which is allocated one per cent of national income.
Government Progress on achieving value for money.
- In recent years there has been evidence of significant improvement in management of capital projects.
- In the key transport area, for example, major projects are now coming in on or below budget and on or ahead of schedule. 19 of the 22 major roads projects – those valued above €15 million – are on budget and ahead of schedule.”
New Government initiatives being implemented include:
- Performance tables for Government Departments and state agencies on major contracts.
- Fixed price lump-sum contracts are to be the norm, a requirement that there be full evaluations, including economic cost-benefit appraisal, for all projects costing above €30 million.
- For larger projects over €30 million, there will be formalised contracts review more vigorous competition for public sector contracts with the active targeting of small and medium enterprises and the development of the Government’s e-tenders website that affords Greater opportunity to compete for public sector contracts.
- Single individual responsibility for all major IT and capital projects
