Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

As Deputy Ó Caoláin said, a general moratorium on recruitment and promotion was applied to most of the public service and incentivised early retirement and career breaks schemes were introduced. The way to deal with the situation outlined by the Deputy is through agreement on redeployment. Reduction in public service numbers is one aspect of the way we will deal with transforming the public service in the future. It is not simply about reducing numbers but also about getting a greater degree of flexible redeployment in order to ensure there is proper redeployment within the sector. Cross-sector redeployment can take place, within a geographic area where possible, having regard to the arrangements agreed in respect of non-commercial, semi-State sponsored bodies. To help with the integration of the public service, barriers to a unified public service labour market will be dismantled, including through legislative provision, as appropriate. To the greatest extent possible there will be standardised terms and conditions of employment across the public service, with the focus initially within sectors. In that context, the parties have agreed to review and revise contractual or other arrangements or practices which generate inflexibility or restrict mobility.

In those two aspects of dealing with the issue, there is also the reconfiguring of the design and delivery of public services whereby the parties agree they must work more closely across sectoral, organisational and professional boundaries when designing and delivering services. The focus will be on having people delivering cost-effective public services, committed to engaging at national, sectoral and local level to achieve specified measurable outcomes in regard to cost containment, service integration and reconfiguration, as well as on engaging staff, progressing change and maximising the productivity gains proposed from how work is organised and from streamlining procedures, processes and systems to allow for shared services and Government developments.

A substantial commitment to the redesign of work processes will be necessary. The parties will co-operate with the drive to reduce costs through organisational rationalisation and restructuring and by having service delivery organised in different ways or delivered by different bodies. The aim is to minimise duplication of effort, reuse data within the public system and reduce information demands on the citizen and on business. The introduction of new or improved technology, service provision and on-line electronic funds transfer would be regarded as the norm. Processes and service delivery would be improved by better collation and reuse of data and personal information and by centralising transaction and certain sectoral data handling support functions.

A range of issues are addressed and there are separate sectoral agreements. In the six chapters and 83 pages one can see what is envisaged in regard to various sectors.

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