THE DEPARTMENT of Finance has deferred the announcement of the five-person Fiscal Advisory Council until after the weekend because one of the members has yet to finalise approval from employers.
The Cabinet approve the establishment of the council at its meeting this week. The council was a commitment in the programme for government and was also included in the revised memorandum of understanding, agreed with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund in April.
The department said last night that the Government met the June 30th deadline imposed by the EU-IMF for establishing the council. The only issue remaining, an official said, was an issue of the compliance where one of the council has yet to finalise approval from employers.
The council has been given a mandate to assess the fiscal and budgetary policies of the Government. Given an independent remit, it will comment on the Department of Finance’s economic plans and forecasts, as well as assessing compliance with fiscal rules. Its conclusions will be available to the public.
Separately, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin has appointed three external experts from the private sector as consultants for his plans to reform the public sector.
The three consultants have been engaged on a temporary basis for a 10- to 12-week period. All come from consultancy backgrounds and will be paid salaries equivalent to the salaries they were being paid in their respective companies.
None of the three has been named on the basis that theirs are ad hoc appointments that are not public. The department last night pointed out that a similar arrangement was agreed when outside experts were seconded to the Department of Finance to assist with banking issues.
The department said the consultants did not have to go through an open recruitment process because of the short-term nature of the contracts and the urgency attached to reform of the public sector.
In a statement, it said that there will be further recruitment and secondment to the Department of Public Expenditure from both the public service and the private sector. “These additional staff will help accelerate the reform agenda and ensure that the greatest efficiencies and value for money are being achieved. These appointments will be openly advertised.”
