Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The issue here is not whether there should be voluntary redundancy scheme. Indeed, this is something the Labour Party has been advocating since the publication of our document on the reform of the HSE as far back as May 2008. The issue is that having delayed until now to bring forward the scheme, is it practical to have it carried out in this short timeframe? Some 4,000 staff in any organisation represents quite a large number. Presumably even if there are 4,000 applications received by 19 November, there will be a process of identifying whether those staff or the posts are surplus to requirements and can be released. There may well be a process of selection if more than envisaged subscribe to the scheme. Then there is the process of redeployment of staff because presumably one may have a situation where someone in one particular area might volunteer for redundancy and that job must be filled by someone else.

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