Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will give the Deputy as much information as I can on what we are doing. As she knows, there has been very significant downsizing of the public service. Some 10% of staff, or 30,000, have left.

We have made payroll savings from peak to the end of last year of €3.4 billion, a quantum of 17.7%. There is no other place in Europe that has been as successful in downsizing pay and pensions, as well as numbers, in an atmosphere of industrial calm and peace. That is a great credit to the public service.

The improving situation, as we make savings, will allow us to deploy a reform dividend. For example, the Government agreed to recruit gardaí again. We will have a significant number of new teachers in place this year, as well as special needs assistants. The numbers issued will not be necessarily as clear cut. We have been driving savings through a number of reduction processes. When we deploy all the available procedures under the Haddington Road agreement, we will be making significant savings of the order of €1 billion. We want to redeploy some of that to supplement front-line staff such as gardaí, teachers and SNAs. There may be others in areas where there are critical pressures when we look at it.

The age profile of the Civil Service and public service is an issue of which we must be mindful. We need younger people to come into the services in order that we do not have an age deficit in the future. The superannuation and retirement allowance for the Civil Service will provide for the payment of pensions, lump sums and death gratuities that we envisage during 2014.