Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The latest figures from across the public service indicate that more than 7,500 people applied to retire in January and February 2012. Those figures are based on data reported by all of the public service employers on the number of retirement applications that have been received. It will take some time for the final figures of actual retirements to be determined, taking into account those who may have changed their mind before 29 February. The sectoral breakdown is as follows: education section, 3,058; the Civil Service, 1,236; the health sector, 2,640; local authorities, 931; Defence Forces, 362; and the Garda 310, amounting to a total of 7,537. Retirement numbers do not always equate with full-time equivalents. While these were taking place over a telescoped period in January and February, rather than a longer time span, local management had to assess and address the level of staff departures and ensure continuity of business and service maintenance. Between the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the representatives of sectors and other Departments they have not highlighted any areas of major concern resulting from retirements to mid-February that could not in the main be addressed through redeployment and redistribution of work. In limited cases where critical posts have been identified in front-line services and in key policy areas they may need to be filled to meet business needs.

There was a great deal of public comment about what would happen in respect of the health sector where clearly people on the front-line were opting to retire from the service, causing concern and anxiety that services could not be maintained. The Cabinet sub-committee on health had a meeting with all the regional directors of service who have signed off on plans for each individual hospital. In regard to the issues that arise from week to week, at weekends and issues that had not even been contemplated they have all signed off on their plans. I am pleased to say that full co-operation and flexibility has been shown under the Croke Park agreement by medical teams, clinical teams and nursing staff for which we should be very grateful.

In the education area arrangements are in place for managing the impact of the retirement of teachers, some of whom have been replaced. Retiring teachers of State examination classes can be re-employed until the end of the school year. That is because teachers obviously form a bond with their pupils in the junior and leaving certificate classes and it is important that not be disrupted in the study structure of students as they prepare for the junior and leaving certificate examinations. The National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, has been reconfigured into eight rather than ten regions, resulting in the suppression of two regional director posts. In third level, universities and the higher education institutions manage the retirements at the end of February in these institutions in the overall context of managing within the ceilings that have been allocated to them. The same applies in the case of the Garda, prisons, other State Departments, the courts and the Judiciary. Each Minister has an important responsibility in working with the groups on the ground to ensure pressure points are dealt with and relieved in the best way possible. Those are the up-to-date figures I have got. Given that a small number of people change their minds at the last minute that may impact on some of those figures.

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