Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

Ireland is committed under the EU-IMF programme to reducing the overall size and costs of the public service. It remains a matter for local agency and parent Department management to decide on operational priorities within the framework of Government policy and resources allocated. All Departments and agencies have to deliver better value to the public in order to reduce the deficit and protect front-line services.

In recent years enhanced numbers monitoring systems and multi-annual employment frameworks have been put in place, as Deputies will know. These arrangements will be strengthened to ensure effect is given to Government decisions on public service numbers and will aid public bodies in planning future staffing and budget levels.

It is part of the day-to-day function of the boards and management of all public bodies to assess, budget and plan for current and ongoing staffing and financial requirements. Public service organisations must fully use all mechanisms set out in the public service reform plan for discharging work, including reorganisation and redeployment of staff. Only after this will the issue of recruitment for current or emerging business needs arise.

Each sector of the public service has established its own strategic workforce planning group to ensure sectoral employers are developing plans to deal with the operational and strategic consequences of staffing reductions. The sectoral groups are feeding into a central strategic workforce planning forum, for which the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is responsible. Factors such as the emerging demographic gaps in management will also be considered. It is hoped measures such as the recently advertised graduate recruitment competition will address such gaps. I have indicated that the sanction of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform must be sought if a Department identifies a potential exception to the moratorium on recruitment. As I have listed the circumstances in which an exception to the moratorium may be granted, I will not do so again. I have mentioned that a number of grades in the education and health sectors are exempt from the moratorium.

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