Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Based on the documentation provided by the Department at the meeting of the sub-committee yesterday, the reduction in public service staff numbers this year will be 3,000 compared to 5,000 last year. Given that the target for reducing public service staff numbers for the years 2011 to 2014, inclusive, is 21,000, a further 18,000 staff or 6,000 per annum will have to leave the public service in 2012, 2013 and 2014. That is double the reduction envisaged for this year. Does the public service have the capacity to cope with reductions in staff on such a massive scale? We hear there is light at the end of the tunnel, but if the Government tells us the numbers of job losses in the public service will be double what they are this year in each of the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 and that a further 4,000 public sector jobs will be lost in 2014, people will crack at some stage. Does the Minister appreciate the gravity of the figures to which he has committed?

See this speech in context