Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Government has set out an ambitious public service reform plan that aims to transform the quality and cost effectiveness of public services in Ireland. As part of that plan, we are undertaking a steady and managed reduction in public service numbers. There is, however, no wholesale embargo on recruitment. There is significant recruitment in targeted priority areas such as health and education.

The Government is, sensibly, taking a measured and prudent approach in order to mitigate the potential disadvantages of reduced staffing levels.

To this end, the numbers reduction policy takes account of priority areas, by allowing for replacement of key staff especially in the education sector and in key areas of health; gives sectoral and local management discretion in exactly how staff resources are allocated within an area; provides a framework for redeployment of staff across the public service; and includes introducing new streamlined services such as shared services, which allow functions to be maintained and indeed enhanced with reduced staff levels and at a lower cost.

Reform of the public service is necessary both because we need to reduce costs given our serious fiscal position, and because the quality of public services for the citizen needs to be continually improved and value-for-money for the taxpayer protected. The Government's reform plan is comprehensive and ambitious. It captures a wide range of reform projects, including ICT infrastructure projects to support enhanced automation, better on-line services and shared payroll and HR services; change management projects to support more effective work practices, redeployment, rostering and manpower planning; organisation restructuring, involving mergers of previously separate State bodies and of divisions and work areas within organisations.

These reform projects will allow the public service to function more efficiently and more cost effectively over the medium term. Crucially, they are facilitating the delivery of services while making headcount reduction.

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