Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy's final contention has not been suggested by anybody, even in the context of outlining whatever prospective difficulties and problems those offices may have. What was suggested is that instead of the DPP taking certain prosecutions those would be handed to the Garda to prosecute. That is what was said. The DPP indicated that this is not the optimum position. I acknowledge and understand what he says. I make the point that the administration of justice is not being compromised by this.

The other point made concerned the bluntness of the instrument. A far more blunt instrument would be an across the board embargo. Last July, for instance, when a direction was given to all Departments to cut payroll costs by 3% for the remainder of the year, this outcome was achieved by them. It was achieved with the flexibility of management given to people by that direction rather than by another way used in the past whereby a centralised embargo was imposed that required the approval of the Minister for Finance in each individual case of prospective recruitment. By allowing managers and Accounting Officers of Departments deal with the situation in that way, one enables them to work out, through term time and overtime, a full range of ways of reorganising their offices that achieve the savings without diminution of levels of service to any significant degree, or to any degree at all.

We have put forward to Departments the most flexible mechanism available to us, while insisting on obtaining the savings required. This contribution, in terms of staff costs, goes towards making the savings and the economies required in the light of the reduced revenue we now have.

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