Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----and changing Departments but that difference is not in administration. On this issue, in terms of administration pay and non-pay, we have been making consistent reductions year after year because we were reducing the number of staff. Not too long ago there were more than 4,000 people employed in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; it is about 3,300 now. In terms of some of the consolidation that is taking place, particularly around regional veterinary offices throughout the country, we have gone from just under 60 down to 17. We are trying to continue to maintain the same service but in a more efficient way. That has happened in areas such as Clonakilty, Tipperary and now in Kerry, where staff in some cases have been reallocated within the Department but in more cases they have been reallocated to other Departments. In the case of Tralee, we are proposing that some of the administration staff would move from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine into another Department in Killarney. That issue has gone to the Labour Relations Commission, and I have been informed that it is finalised.

In the past 18 months we have reduced staff numbers by another 300. Obviously, there is a floor below which we cannot fall because if we do services to our clients, namely, farmers, will suffer significantly. However, if we look at the actual performance in terms of getting payments out on time, last year was the best year ever and this year is better again.

In terms of the other support services the Department provides, I keep telling farmers that we want to try to first reduce the expenditure in terms of the cost of running the Department before we cut their schemes. That is what we are trying to do here. Essentially, we have knocked another €6 million off the cost of administration and the running of our Department by having fewer staff and by consolidation in terms of our facilities. The Deputy will probably see that figure reduce again because of pay agreements that are likely to be signed up to this year, which will result in further reductions in terms of the cost of pay. We do not get any direct credit for that in terms of being able to spend it in other elements of the Department, particularly around pay savings, but in terms of costs to the Exchequer, that is from where the figures primarily come.