I thank the Deputy for raising this important question. Housing policy is written by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and his Department. IGEES staff in the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform carry out research in a broad range of areas affecting expenditure. While this informs the evidence base provided by officials in ministerial briefings, housing policy is developed and implemented by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Th…

Whatever about me reading it, I do not know whether the Deputy listened to me. I will read it out again. The IGEES is an integrated, cross-Government service that seeks to enhance the role of analysis and evidence in public policymaking. It is a cross-Government service, which means there is more than one Department involved in it. I also said it informs the Minister's engagements and meeting, including Cabinet meetings. On what the Deputy said about planning permissions, it is important to point out that the repor…

As someone who represents one of those rural counties the Deputy seems to have such a knowledge of-----

The number of houses that are granted planning permission on a once-off basis is tiny, relative to what is needed. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle and Deputy Conway-Walsh will know what I am talking about here. The number of one-off houses in rural areas, compared with schemes of houses that are built, is minuscule. Naturally enough, the refusal rate will be smaller but the overall refusal rate for planning permission stands at 15%. In the context of apartments, which the Deputy mentioned, the number of completed apartme…

I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, who is out of the country as well. As part of the programme for Government, Ireland is committed to re-energising its Open Government Partnership, OGP, process. The OGP aims to secure concrete commitments from governments across the world to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption and harness new technologies to strengthen governance. Member countries sign the OGP declaration and participate in its processes to advan…

In the last Government I was a Minister of State with responsibility for the OGP. In the context of the round table established in 2021, some of its members include the Open Government Association Ireland; Digital Rights Ireland; the Kildare Public Participation Network, PPN, representing all the PPNs; the Think-tank for Action on Social Change; the Wheel; Irish Rural Link; the Change Agency; and Innovate Communities. There are a number of public sector bodies as well. This is on top of the work being done, for ins…

The citizens' assemblies have helped in no small way to inform change that has come about in this country in recent years. Oftentimes people are accused of being behind the public on a number of different issues but the citizens' assemblies have informed debate and they are an important part of democracy. It is my intention as Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works to meet the chairperson of the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss as soon as possible to reflect on the findings of t…

At least one of us is lucky.

Housing policy is written for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. IGEES staff in the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform carry out research in a broad range of areas affecting expenditure. While this informs the evidence base that is provided by officials in ministerial briefings, housing policy is developed and implemented within the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. IGEES is an integrated cross-government service which seeks to e…

The Deputy asked the same question.

I think that the most important line in the first reply I read out to the Deputy is in the last part. By the way, it was not the same reply both times because the questions were different. It is a pity they were not grouped together because it would have avoided my having to stand up a second time.

Well, maybe. The most important line is that referring to independence as a pillar in the unit's contribution to evidence-based policymaking. It is almost like the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council. It provides evidence and, sometimes, contrarian views but, ultimately, it is for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to make a determination with regard to housing policy. The Deputy tells me that planning objections really do not make a difference. Every day during Leaders' Questions, week in, week out,…

In the real world, planning objections make a difference and ultimately prevent people from getting on with the job of delivering the housing we all want.

In fairness to him, the Deputy gets away with a lot of things in here but to compare the planning processes in train in Longford to those in Dublin, where the majority-----

Will the Deputy let me finish? I imagine the majority of planning applications in Longford are for one-off houses or small schemes. The Deputy is comparing bananas to pineapples. There is no comparison. Let us look at the greater Dublin area, although I know the Deputy did not want to refer to this. The report states: Counties in the [greater Dublin area], and those containing large urban centres, tended to have higher refusal rates. Refusal rates across [local authority areas] ranged from 37% in Kildare to 4% in T…

We are finished.

The Deputy got four bites.

I am taking this question for the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth. The delivery of the financial management shared services centre and programme was approved by the Government in 2020 with an indicative timeline through 2025 and assigned a budget of €115 million. The programme plays a central role in the delivery of the Civil Service renewal programme and represents one of the largest transformations of financial management for central government in recent times. The programme moves all financial transaction…

The Deputy asked for the names of the specific organisations that have already moved across and the timeframe in which others will move across. I will have to ask the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, to respond to her on those issues. With regard to the financial envelope, the Government decision I referred to provides for a capital envelope of €115 million. Of course, the final cost will not be known until the project is completed but the NSSO is making every effort to control the cost. I will get the Minis…

I will address the points the Deputy raised regarding the individual waves. Eight Departments or offices were part of wave 1 and the second wave will see a further 14 clients onboarded. On the timeframes, wave 2 Departments have started. Based on the expected timelines, it is hoped the second wave will go live in the latter part of 2024 or as soon as possible. On cost, some €73 million has been spent to date. The bulk of the development is conducted in the early stages of the programme. The expenditure includes all…