Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Again, the Deputy has asked a number of questions. She disputes the contention that the majority of services are analogous to checking in with an airline. There are front-line services that are not analogous but there are many process services that are such as renewing a driving licence and all the other things one does automatically that can be done much more effectively and efficiently. We are doing that. That gives us the capacity to supplement the front-line services.

Having that capacity has allowed me to sanction the recruitment of gardaí again this year. We will increase the number of gardaí. The general number of workers in the public service will not diminish this year by the volume we initially outlined. We will utilise the reform dividend - the savings we are making by providing general services more efficiently - by churning it into better front-line services. There will be more teachers in schools. As I said, we will have an additional 1,200 resource teachers this year and there will be more gardaí on the streets. I have mentioned that we are beginning to recruit gardaí again after many years of not being able to do so. That is the approach I want to take. I do not want to take a crude approach.

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