Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 21 September 2016

Committee on Budgetary Oversight

Current and Capital Expenditure: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

2:00 pm

Photo of Paschal DonohoePaschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

With regard to the effect of demographics on our ability to recruit, in my opening contribution I referred to the fact that we are now recruiting for all front-line services. In some areas we are back to where we were pre-crisis and we are beginning to make progress in others. We expect to need to hire 648 more teachers to deal with the effect of demographics on our schools. We have the resources in place and the ability to do this.

With regard to the wage levels for public servants and new entrants, we have reached an agreement, through the Department of Education and Skills and the Minister, Deputy Bruton, with the INTO and the TUI on the restoration of a degree allowance and integrating this into the salary package for new teachers.

That matter is subject to ballot and agreement by the members of both unions but, in principle, we have reached agreement.

In regard to what it means in terms of the pressure we are under in different sectors at the moment, the answer varies by sector. In many parts of the public service we advertise, many people apply and we are able to hire them and keep them within our country. Gardaí are a very good example of this. It is tremendous to go through different Departments and meet new civil servants who have just joined in the past year or two. While I do not want to in any way denigrate those members of the Civil Service who have been with us a few years longer, it is great to see a mix, which is healthy for everybody. Since April of last year, we have employed 449 more doctors, 884 more nurses and 2,250 more front-line staff. Those are front-line improvements that have been made. We are trying to work with all the unions that are inside the Lansdowne Road agreement. Where there are particular matters that are affordable for us to reach agreement on, we will work with people to do it.

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