Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

In response to Deputy Fleming's question, it is indeed a matter for Government and not a matter for negotiations. We have set the targets and we are accelerating those targets. We have reduced public service numbers to 2005 levels and it cannot be argued that we had a desperately understaffed public service back then. We need to look at all of the new technologies that are available. More than 300 services are being delivered online now. If the Deputies wanted to buy an airline ticket, they would not go to a staffed travel agency to do so as they might have done 20 years ago. We must be modern in the way we deliver our services because the people who are paying their taxes expect that of us.

In response to Deputy McDonald, we will be as transparent on this as we can be. I am sure I am not going to be able to satisfy Deputy McDonald in all of this because she does not want us to embark on this scheme at all. That is fine and she is entitled to her point of view. However, we can transform the way we deliver services. Tomorrow I am appearing before the Committee of Public Accounts and shortly after the finance committee to go through in detail the public service reform agenda and outline what we have achieved to date in a short period of time. It is less than a year since that agenda was published and we are bringing about a quiet revolution. I know there is screaming and shouting about parts of it but the general change that is happening is one that we will all be proud of when we are finished.

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