Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

The Deputy would love to lead me into an area but I will not allow her to do that. To put it bluntly, this is about efficiencies and savings. One does not need to consult with every agency to determine if the State can get better back office support by amalgamating human resources management elsewhere. I did not ask every Department if it was willing to have a common pay and pensions system. Back office support does not require consultation. The independence of the offices concerned will be fully vindicated. The process of implementation will have to involve detailed consultation with all of the bodies and individuals concerned.

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