Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I strongly agree with the first point the Deputy made. There was a clear emphasis on cost reduction in the first wave of reforms. However, we implemented the cost reduction in an innovative manner to ensure we delivered services more efficiently. More than 400 public services are now available online and we are examining the top 20 transactions people engage in to ascertain if they can be completed more efficiently and effectively.

As indicated in my response to Deputy Ross, we have looked at a lot of the back-office supports, including payroll and human resources management and so on, in the context of having shared services, thereby releasing money and staff to be reinvested in the front line. I was then able, for example, to relax the embargo on Garda recruitment. Along with the additional gardaí to be recruited this year, more than 900 resource teachers are being recruited and additional SNAs will also be deployed. We are using what I term the "reform dividend" of back-office savings to front-load front-line services.

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