Protecting Public Funds
We analysed over €25 billion in public spending and identified clear ways to improve transparency, efficiency and accountability. By linking budgets to actual spending, standardising supplier IDs, streamlining data formats, ensuring timely reporting and making procurement data accessible, we can safeguard taxpayer funds and deliver better value.
5 Essential Reforms forGovernment Spending
Transforming how we track and manage public expenditure for better transparency and accountability
Connect Tenders and Payments
Link tender data to actual payments to track project progress, identify delays and ensure accountability for every euro spent.
Tenders are the initial step in the procurement process, outlining projected costs before payments are made. Currently, purchase orders detail spending without clear connections to specific tenders. Establishing this link would create transparency and enable accurate comparisons.
Unique Supplier Identifiers
Implement standardised supplier IDs across all state bodies to track vendor relationships and ensure fair competition.
In most reports, suppliers are identified by name rather than standardised codes, making it difficult to consolidate data and track total spending with individual suppliers.
Open Data Standards
Present data in an accessible, user-friendly format similar to the 'Where Your Money Goes' tool.
Making procurement data more accessible and understandable will promote transparency, encourage public engagement and enable better oversight.
Real-Time Reporting
Ensure faster, consistent data release across all state bodies to enhance transparency and accountability.
Current reporting timelines vary significantly between state bodies, making it difficult to get a complete, timely picture of public spending.
Standardise Data
Make public spending data simple to access and use through standardised, machine-readable formats.
Currently, data is often buried in PDFs, making analysis time-consuming and difficult. Since this data originates from digital systems, presenting it in formats like CSV would remove unnecessary complexity and make it easier for researchers and the public to analyse and understand public spending patterns.
The ultimate goal?
To deliver value for money to the taxpayer and ensure projects are completed at realistic prices with minimal delays or hidden inefficiencies.
To back these recommendations, I'm sharing a dashboard we've developed that sits on top of the data we have collected centralises and visualises public spending data. It's a first step toward making this vision a reality—and I'd love your feedback.
What We Can InferFrom the Data
Transforming how we track and manage public expenditure for better transparency and accountability
Vendor Activity and Total Spend
We can see which suppliers are frequently contracted by state entities, how much has been allocated to specific vendors, and gain insight into broad spending patterns with suppliers.
General Project or Service Types
Based on the descriptions provided, we can infer the types of goods and services procured. This can reveal general categories of state spending and potentially highlight recurring procurement needs.
Quarterly and Annual Spending Trends
With quarter and year information, we can make approximate assessments of procurement levels over time, indicating periods of high or low procurement activity.
Progress of State Projects
If certain projects or vendors appear repeatedly, this may suggest ongoing project phases. However, actual project progress cannot be precisely determined without more specific timing and payment information.
UnderstandingData Limitations
Key considerations when analyzing public spending data
Inclusion of VAT
- • Amounts include VAT, inflating apparent values
- • May lead to overestimation when comparing costs
Withholding Tax
Payments are net of withholding tax, potentially reducing amounts below reporting thresholds and complicating comparisons.
Penalty Interest & DIRT
Late payment penalties and DIRT can affect final amounts, introducing variability from original order values.
Quarterly Reporting
Lack of specific dates limits time-sensitive analysis and project timeline tracking.
Payment Timing
Orders recorded at issuance rather than payment, complicating cash flow analysis.
Real-Time Availability
Quarterly arrears reporting delays data availability and prevents real-time analysis.
Transaction Exclusions
Non-procurement transactions, grants, and reimbursements are excluded, leading to incomplete financial picture.
FOI Restrictions
Certain orders omitted under FOI legislation, reducing transparency for sensitive contracts.
Limited Descriptions
Brief descriptions limit understanding of specific purposes and project outcomes.
Albert Dolan
General Election Candidate for Galway East
My name is Albert Dolan, a chartered accountant with a vision for fiscal transparency. When reviewing any transaction, three essential questions should be answerable:
Currently, a tool exists for budget planning analysis (Where Your Money Goes), but we need a comparable resource for actual expenditures—the real data on where taxpayer money is being directed and spent.