Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 17 October 2012

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform

2013 Allocations for Public Expenditure - Office of Public Works: Discussion with Minister of State

4:05 pm

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State. That seems like a small percentage. As I do not have the context for the OPW, I ask the Minister of State to take my comments for what they are. If a struggling organisation is essentially insolvent, it should be fighting for its life by cutting costs everywhere. I am not saying there is not a good reason for the 1.4% figure. I just want to question it because it seems low. Could the Minister of State explain why it is so low?

As a matter of interest, does the OPW have any plans for what it will do with all the council buildings that will be freed up from 2014, according to the plans announced yesterday by the Minister of State's colleague? There is a very nice building in Greystones.

The OPW has dealt with a massive reduction in staff. Essentially, its number of staff has decreased from 2,200 to 1,700. The number of full-time equivalent posts is 500 less than it was in 2008. It has also had to cope with a massive reduction in money. What has this country lost as a result of that?