Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 47 together.

Latest figures from across the public service, excluding the health sector, indicate that approximately 4,000 are expected to retire in the first two months of 2012. In the health sector the data are based on the period September to February, with approximately 3,500 expected to retire in that timeframe. These figures are based on data reported by all public service employers about the numbers of retirement applications received. In some instances, staff will withdraw their application to retire owing to personal circumstances. There are also cases in which individuals who wish to retire have not given the full three months notice requested by the employer.

In the first instance, responsibility for operational planning in the context of reducing resources rests with the relevant public service body and its parent Department. 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. Should a Department identify a potential exception to the moratorium on recruitment the sanction of my Department must then be sought. Exceptions to the moratorium may be granted on the following basis: where statutory posts must be filled for legal reasons; where failure to fill posts would result in a breach of EU or international regulations and impact upon exports, etc.; in safety-related posts where a failure to fill the post could leave the State open to potential legal liabilities or for security reasons; specialist and technical posts that ensure a continuity of operations such as legal officers, laboratory staff, maritime safety staff, etc.; and where continuity of front-line services must be ensured. In the case of the education and health sectors, a number of grades are exempt from the moratorium in order to ensure vital services are maintained.

Each sector in the public service has been establishing its own strategic workforce planning group to ensure sectoral employers develop plans to deal with the operational and strategic consequences arising from staffing reductions in the coming years. The sectoral groups are liaising with the central strategic workforce planning forum under my Department.

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