Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I provided all the figures when I appeared before the relevant committee and made sure to disaggregate everything. The reality is that these are costs which will have to be met. The people in question have, by and large, worked for up to 40 years in the public service. They have made their pension contributions in the expectation of obtaining both a lump sum and a pension at the end of their careers. This aspect is always factored in when costings are being made. I accept that some of the cost has been brought forward.

The target of the Government - this represents a fundamental alteration of the policy which obtained for the previous ten years - is to downsize the public service by a further 27,500 between now and 2015. The downsizing to which I refer will be permanent. We are going to do things differently and, as a result, greater productivity and flexibility will be required. We have established a programme to achieve this. I have laid before the committee of which the Deputy is a member all the information on the implementation plans we are pursuing in order to develop a more productive, cost-efficient, efficient and less wasteful public service of which we can be proud. The Deputy knows this full well.

I agree with the Deputy that the proof of the pudding will be in the eating. In that context, we will be obliged to ensure the various things to which I refer will be implemented. We are facing into a very difficult couple of months, when the quantum of people in question will leave the public service. This will test the level of flexibility we will achieve under the Croke Park agreement in order to ensure front-line services will be maintained in the absence of additional costs.

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