Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

It is only one week since the final departure under the incentivised scheme passed. It gives none of us any comfort to state that real issues and problems are going to arise because adequate provision has not been made across all services and Departments. The retirements in question follow hot on the heels of a devastating recruitment embargo across the public sector which has decimated the front line. No where is this more in evidence than in the area of health.

The sovereign deficit must be addressed and no one is arguing against public sector reform because it must happen. However, slashing public sector numbers will neither solve the State's economic crisis, nor will it deliver real reform. This approach just does not tick the boxes.

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