Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to point out the contradictory views on outsourcing. I know that the Minister knows that he could not but know that for many people working in the public sector and the unions who represent them, their biggest single concern is precisely the issue of outsourcing. The Minister will know that in the course of the Haddington Road saga, very often trade union members signed up to that agreement because they believed looming in the wings was this threat of outsourcing. It is a theme commonly spoken about among people who work in the sector and those who represent them.

The contradiction I was pointing out to the Minister was that on the one hand outsourcing is not just viewed as an option, it is stated very clearly in the plan that we are upskilling managers in the execution of end-to-end outsourcing but something that is being positively promoted within the reform plan. Alongside that there is an acceptance that agency workers in the health service are enormously expensive, that it is not the most cost effective way to proceed and that many would argue that the traditional model of a full-time employee, a full blooded public servant being paid the rate for the job is more cost effective. I asked the Minister for a figure on the savings to date. I am well aware of the additional hours and the plans for them but will the Minister outline how much has been saved in respect of agency workers to date? In his presentation the Minister states this is ongoing. What has been saved or how much has been cut back on the spend on agency workers in the health service?