Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish to acknowledge the work of the public service, which has delivered, with a shrinking sum of money and 10% less personnel than its peak, a bigger service to more people. I am very satisfied that the level of capacity to do more with less will continue. There are still difficult times ahead. We are not out of the woods, but at least we are exiting the troika programme. We are much more in control of our own destiny. We have to live within our fiscal targets, but I am confident that will continue to be the case. The new legislative frameworks, such as the allowance of carryover, will allow for a more rational planning on a multi-annual basis for offices and Departments in the future.

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