The annual conference on 25 November addressed the issue of public sector reform during a period marked by a dramatic deterioration in the public finances. The programme was introduced by Brian Cawley, Assistant Director General of the IPA, who stressed the importance of finding long term robust solutions even in a period when there was such pressure to act quickly.

The event was chaired by Paul Turpin of the Governance Forum with four additional presentations.

• John Buckley, Comptroller and Auditor General, addressed accountability for public funds and discussed future areas of focus for Value for Money Reporting.
• Jim Power addressed the changing economic outlook and suggested that the economic forecasts in Budget 2009 now looked too optimistic.
• Sir Peter Gershon discussed lessons to be learned from the UK Public Sector Efficiency Review. Over £23 billion of annual efficiency gains were recorded from this process by December 2007.
• Paul Haran, responding to Sir Peter’s presentation, emphasised effectiveness and cautioned against an unduly narrow focus on efficiencies. He believed there was a broad enthusiasm among public sector employees to work towards worthwhile output goals.

Download additional documents:

• Value for Money Reporting
• The Irish Economy in 2009: A Realistic Outlook
• Efficiency in the UK Public Sector