Mr. Connie Kelleher:

Over the past three years, our budgets have been pretty steadfast at around €17 million. In 2011, it was €16.738 million, in 2012, it was €17 million and this year, it went back slightly to €16.630 million. One could say they have been constant at around €17 million. Within that, the capital element has been pretty constant at €4 million. Our current element has also been pretty constant over that time.

We have managed to remain within budget all of the time and we have managed our resources better and more efficiently with fewer people. Greater reliance on technology has been a big help to us. We have fewer people, with more work, rather than less, being done more efficiently. We have been using automated approval systems and paperless systems. We have worked very closely with our parent Department, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, sharing costs such as web hosting costs. We have been creative and inventive and we have upskilled. While self-praise is no praise, it is a great credit to the organisation that many people who were doing one job three or four years ago are now doing additional jobs. In my department and in the other departments, everybody has metamorphosed and has accepted the reality of a reduction in the headcount. As Mr. Whooley said, there has been quite a significant reduction in the headcount from 175 to 125. There are programmes we have not been able to do but there are others which we have taken on. We have used our skill and our productivity and efficiency are very good.

Budgets have been pretty constant. In terms of workload, I do not think the industry has suffered. If anything, we have taken on additional roles and covered them reasonably well. Technology has been a big part of what we have done and it has saved costs. There is more time for customers as people are not tied up dealing with back office work.