Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Questions about specific areas of specific Departments should be addressed to specific Ministers. At the end of April this year the number of whole-time equivalent staff serving in my Department was 2,009. We will endeavour to redeploy staff according to key business needs and activity levels; to restructure work loads as appropriate; and achieve greater productivity through exploiting new technologies and availing of shared service arrangements. In 2008 staff savings were achieved in this manner by moving the operation of my Department's financial management system and associated transaction processing to the financial shared service centre of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in Killarney.

Further to the moratorium on recruitment and promotion, no vacancy arising in my Department will be filled except in exceptional circumstances with the express sanction of the Department of Finance as provided for in the Department of Finance circular. This will necessitate reviews of how staff are deployed in the Department to ensure key areas of Department activity are adequately staffed. The Department will endeavour to redeploy staff according to key business needs and levels of activity, restructure workloads as appropriate and achieve greater productivity through exploiting new technologies and availing of shared service arrangements. The Department will adhere to the moratorium on recruitment and promotions in the public service. No vacancies in my Department will be filled, however they arise, whether by recruitment, promotion or payment of an allowance for the performance of duties at a higher grade in accordance with the circular issued by the Department of Finance on 27 March.

It is difficult to predict the numbers affected in terms of how many vacancies will not be filled arising from any further reduction in the Estimate provision for salaries because it depends on the timing and grade of any vacancies that may arise due to staff leaving the Department, whether as a result of retirement or any other reason.

See this speech in context