Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 1: To ask the Taoiseach when he will publish details of his proposal to reduce the permanent rather than political staffing of his Department [6666/11]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 2: To ask the Taoiseach the progress made in the restructuring of his Department including reduction in staff numbers for the entire Department rather than reassignments within the Department. [7685/11]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 3: To ask the Taoiseach the changes if any he has made or expects to make in spending allocations within his Department. [7686/11]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 4: To ask the Taoiseach if it is his intention to make any promotions to the civil service staff in his Department from outside the current ranks of the civil service during 2011 and which promotions are involved. [7689/11]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 5: To ask the Taoiseach the total estimated annual expenditure savings to his Department as a result of changes which he has implemented since his appointment. [7693/11]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 6: To ask the Taoiseach the units in his Department which he intends either cancelling or transferring to other Departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8192/11]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 7: To ask the Taoiseach his plans for restructuring of staffing in his Department. [8367/11]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 7, inclusive, together.

A new post of second Secretary General is being created in my Department which will support two important new mechanisms which are being established, namely, support for the Government economic management council and a new role in European Union co-ordination. This new approach in respect of EU co-ordination will support the Tánaiste and me, as appropriate. The new second Secretary General will also co-ordinate support for the Tánaiste in his engagement with whole-of-government issues, including Cabinet committee structures.

In addition, the post of Secretary General of my Department and Secretary General to the Government is due to become vacant in the near future and an appointment will be made shortly. The Government will decide in due course on the filling of these posts, for which expressions of interest have been invited from across the Civil Service in line with established practice.

Over the coming weeks staff dealing with public service reform in my Department will transfer to the new Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. While the precise details of the move and the number of support staff that will be required to transfer are being finalised, I expect that approximately 25 staff will transfer.

My Department's Estimate provision for 2011 is €24.816 million. This will be reduced as a result of the transfer of sections and posts in my Department which have been engaged in work which now comes within the responsibility of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. I expect this transfer of functions will give rise to a whole year reduction in my Department's Estimate of approximately €2 million.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Taoiseach indicate the reasons he has not opened up the positions to which he alluded, namely, Secretary General to the Government and the new position of Secretary General to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform? Only a number of weeks ago it was clearly stated that the former position would be publicly advertised. Likewise, the new position, the creation of which I support, marks a return to the position which obtained two or three years ago when there were two Secretaries General in the Department of the Taoiseach. Why have the two positions in question not been opened up to public advertisement given the very strong play the Taoiseach made before, during and since the general election that all senior positions within the public service and Civil Service would be open to applicants outside the Civil Service? A specific promise was recently made in regard to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

As seven questions have been grouped, including six of mine, I would appreciate the opportunity to ask a number of supplementary questions pertaining to different aspects of those questions. However, that is the central question for now.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Secretary General posts in the Departments of the Taoiseach and Finance do not come within the ambit of the Top Level Appointments Committee, TLAC, but are matters for decision by the Government directly, as are the posts of the Secretary General to the President, the Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners. All suitable officers at a senior level in the Civil Service are considered for such appointments but it has been the practice to invite expressions of interest. In doing so, the opportunity was taken to include the posts of Secretary General to my Department and Secretary General to the Government, where a vacancy is due to arise in a few months. Expressions of interest received by yesterday evening are being compiled and the filling of the posts will be considered by the Government in the near future.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I understand the positions are not covered by TLAC and I am not asking about established practice because the Taoiseach promised to break from established practice in filling positions of this kind. He specifically said he would open these positions to applications from outside the public service and Civil Service. Why has he decided not to do that?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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While we have revised the structure of TLAC, these posts are not subject to TLAC and are outside it as they are appointed directly by Government.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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That is not the point.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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They are sensitive positions, all with responsibility attached to them. Given the numbers involved, we should wait to study the list of expressions of interest and how that should be considered. These are fundamentally important positions for any Government. That is the way it is.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I know they are important positions. It was the Taoiseach who made the promise that people from outside would be invited to apply for these positions. Despite this, he has decided on this occasion not to open up these positions to outside people. Why has the Taoiseach taken this decision given it was he who made the commitment? I know all about established practice and TLAC. Why did the Taoiseach change his mind from a position he held not so long ago in regard to inviting in people from outside? I am not just talking about the Secretary General to the Government, the appointment of a new second Secretary General to the Department of the Taoiseach or in regard to the new Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, headed by the Minister, Deputy Howlin. Only weeks ago, a specific commitment was made that this would require external expertise and that such expertise would be brought in. That clearly has not materialised and I want to know why.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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As I said, with regard to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the Government has agreed to change the structure of TLAC. It is part of the Government's programme that there be the opportunity for people from outside the existing public service to bring in expertise, competence and management skills, which is already happening. The appointments of Secretaries General to the Government and to the Departments of Finance and the Taoiseach have never come within TLAC. All I have sought at present are expressions of interest. The closing period was yesterday and I have not even seen the range, the list or the numbers of those who have expressed interest in these positions. I will report progress to the House as I discuss this with the Government.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Tá mé buíoch don Taoiseach as an freagra a thug sé, ach sílim nach bhfuil sé soiléir nó nach bhfuil difear mór idir an slí ina bhfuil an Taoiseach ag dul ar aghaidh agus an slí in ar déileáil Fianna Fáil le ceisteanna mar seo.

Does the Taoiseach agree that any restructuring of staffing in his Department must be about making it more efficient and transparent, about savings in Government spending, and about the delivery of services for the benefit of citizens? Have any savings been made in a monetary sense? For example, in the case of money spent on advisers since the Taoiseach came into power, have there been savings in comparison with the position taken by the last Government on this issue?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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If the Deputy goes back on the record of what we discussed in this House in recent weeks he will find that the Government has made decisions about reducing the numbers of advisers to Government and to Ministers of State and reducing staff numbers in private offices and private constituency offices. I pointed out in my reply to Deputy Martin that the transfer of staff from the existing Department of the Taoiseach to the new Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will result in a saving of some €2 million in the Vote of the Department of the Taoiseach this year.

All these changes have not yet been finalised but, when they are, they will be put on the public record in this House. I expect there will be considerable overall savings in the context of the Vote for the Department of the Taoiseach and for all other Departments when the full range of appointments is completed. The Government has made decisions in respect of reductions of pay elements, in respect of State cars and other perks and in respect of Ministers of State no longer being allowed special advisers.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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The point is that transferring staff from the Department of the Taoiseach to another Department does not in itself offer a saving to the taxpayer.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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That is true, but the creation of a new Department of Public Expenditure and Reform already signifies the decision by Government to have a serious and comprehensive analysis of how public moneys are spent. The people being transferred from the Department of the Taoiseach to a specific unit within the new Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will see to it that there is a proper analysis of how public moneys are being spent. When the final range of appointments is made to Ministers - both to their private offices and constituency offices - we will see the full extent of the savings, and that information will be brought to the House. These appointments must be approved by the Taoiseach, but not all of them have come before me as yet.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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My Question No. 1 asks when the Taoiseach will publish details of his proposal to reduce the permanent rather than the political staffing of his Department. Some months ago he made a commitment to reduce the staffing of the Department of the Taoiseach by one third. I have seen no evidence of that. I am not talking about transferring staff to another Department but rather the Taoiseach's specific commitment to reduce the permanent staff of his Department by one third. Will he indicate when he intends to publish details of this? Does he anticipate being in a position to reduce the permanent staffing of the Department of the Taoiseach by one third?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Staffing will reduce with the transfer out to the new Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. I consider it very important that the driving force in respect of European Union co-ordination, which is becoming increasingly important, should be driven by the Department of the Taoiseach. There is a very small number of staff in the Department currently involved in this work, and we will relate that to personnel who are currently working in the Department of Foreign Affairs. I have had discussions with the Tánaiste and the Secretary General of that Department to co-ordinate our work in the area of European affairs. Ireland will hold the European Presidency in 2013 and the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs will work with the Tánaiste, with me and with all Departments in making preparations for that. When all of the adjustments have been made, both out of the Department and working with the Department, we will publish all the details.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Given what the Taoiseach has just stated on the need for enhanced capacity within the Department of the Taoiseach from the European perspective, was it not unwise to commit some months ago to a reduction by one third of the Department's permanent staff?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I want to sort out a range of problems faced by this country and neither the Deputy nor I is interested in Punch and Judy politics.

Deputies:

Hear, hear.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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That does not answer the question.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I call Deputy Higgins.

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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What about the examination of your appointments?

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Many staff in the Department of the Taoiseach are members of the Civil and Public Services Union, which organises the lowest-paid workers in the public service. Does the Taoiseach understand the anger of those members of his staff who at their conference rejected the Croke Park agreement because it simply consolidates savage pay cuts, slashes jobs in the public service and therefore worsens service to the public? What is the Taoiseach's attitude to the bullying of successive Labour Party Ministers in the past week-----

Ray Butler (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Where is the question?

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Quiet please. Through the Chair, please.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Is there a new Ceann Comhairle?

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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I heard noises offstage there, a Cheann Comhairle.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy, please proceed with the question. Thank you.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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What is the Taoiseach's attitude to the Labour Party Ministers' bullying the lowest-paid and middle-paid public servants, including those in his Department, and threatening them with further pay cuts? I ask the Taoiseach to acknowledge that staff within his Department start out with extremely low annual wages in the low twenty thousands of euro. As a matter of interest, when the Taoiseach who is in receipt of €200,000 per year passes those staff in the corridors-----

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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When the Deputy is ready, does he have a question?

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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-----does he avert his gaze in embarrassment that he demands further cuts from them while rescuing European banks?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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That is a broad-ranging question from the Deputy. I called together all the staff of my Department recently. I am very proud of the work they do and I spoke to them about the work in which the Government is involved. I do not accept the Deputy's wild assertion that Labour Party Ministers have been bullying Civil Service unions or any other trade union.

Deputies:

Hear, hear.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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This involves dealing with reality. As the Deputy is aware, the Croke Park agreement was put through this House and contains within it the potential to bring about that transformation of the public services sought by the Deputy and everyone else so that they are delivered efficiently and professionally by highly motivated staff. As a union, the CPSU is entitled to its view. I listened to its reports the other day and I understand that a ballot is sought. While the Government already has stated clearly that it does not desire a further cut to public pay, Deputy Higgins as a well-read Member is aware of the contents of the agreement and the memorandum of understanding signed off with the IMF and the European Union in respect of this country. This is the reason it is absolutely necessary that the Croke Park agreement now be accelerated and that public service managers and the implementation forum become drivers instead of simply monitors.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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It is to save the skins of European speculators.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It is very important in the sense of allowing public servants to do their duty as they wish to in a streamlined and efficient operation that delivers the services the public expects. The public service unions want this to be delivered and I intend to work with them in the interests of ensuring that the agreement is implemented in full as quickly as possible. The Labour Party Ministers and others have pointed out the reality of the consequences of not being able to do that.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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It is to save the European banks.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Was Deputy Higgins not over there saving them for a good while?