Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for the presentation. The informatics are excellent. For a Deputy or anybody to use these to inform the public of what is happening is most welcome. That said, public service performance, in addition to continuing day-to-day service for people, is also about being cognisant of how we can improve and target services that see justified demands. Whether one is a local councillor or an Oireachtas Member, there is a need not just for what Deputy Cowen mentioned about performance indicators for elements of the programme for Government but the demands made of public representatives, whether at local authority or council level, on a daily basis. We have to follow not just demand but where there is a real need for it. Somebody mentioned hospital waiting lists and we can look at the delays in the carer's allowance and the lack of money being put into disabled persons' grants. We have had debate after debate in the Dáil on the reintroduction of the motorised grant for people with a disability. That is not even to mention the demand for home help. I am just highlighting a few matters. We can all empty our political book about representations we get. There are extreme pressures because public service is about providing and improving the service for the servants we are for individuals and for the demands in our community.

Deputy Boyd Barrett mentioned being able to show not just the number of jobs provided in a sector. As politicians on all sides, we demand increased services but there seems to be a clear lack of specialist services. For example, I cite speech therapy. I wonder to what degree we can employ speech therapists to meet the promises we are giving and that the Department are saying will be put in place. If we do not have the staff and cannot get them, we are kidding people about enhancing the public service. Is it possible to put such things in an enhanced report next year as it improves?