Tom Shehan (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister and wish him the very best in his endeavours on behalf of the country. The setting up of this Department will involve real reform which will not be imposed but will be done through consensus, agreement and engagement as it would not be possible otherwise. The Minister has started very well.

This Bill proposes to transfer functions from the Minister for Finance to the new Department which will be headed by the Minister. The Department's main focus will be on modernisation and development of the public service. Key to the modernisation of the public service will be the implementation of the Croke Park agreement. The new Department will oversee the agreement and its progress. Genuine reform is being achieved under the Croke Park agreement but the pace must be accelerated, in particular this year and next year. This is the key focus of the Government in the coming weeks and months.

The public service employs 300,000 and delivering change will be complex if it is to be done correctly. Public service numbers have been reduced by almost 16,000, or 5% of the total number, between the end of 2008 and the end of 2010. The programme for Government requires an additional 5,000 to 8,000 voluntary reductions by the end of 2014 and a further 4,000 in 2015.