Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

This Government has had to address a challenging fiscal situation. Since its peak in 2009, gross voted expenditure has been reduced by 13.5%, from €63.1 billion in 2009 to €54.6 billion last year, with a further reduction budgeted for this year. As part of this consolidation, the public service Exchequer pay bill has been reduced by approximately 22%, from €17.5 billion in 2009 to a targeted €13.6 billion this year. In order to achieve these savings, it has been necessary to reduce staff numbers, which are down by approximately 10% from the 2008 peak.

We also worked to achieve our expenditure targets and endeavoured to do that, as I have stated repeatedly, in a balanced way, with a strategic view on current and future needs. We have reduced budgets and staff numbers. We have asked organisations and sectors to improve the utilisation of their scarce resources to become more efficient and better focused on the needs of citizens.  In addition, where savings have been made, the resulting reform dividend will allow for some recruitment to front-line services, particularly in the education and health sectors.

In January this year, I published the Government's new public service reform plan for 2014 to 2016. The actions set out in the reform plan are largely cross-cutting in nature.  These include, for example, greater use of shared services and innovative approaches to service delivery; increased use of technology and improved engagement with service users; more efficient and effective public procurement and property management; and enhanced leadership and performance management.

The reform programme adopts a whole-of-government approach to reforming our public services across all sectors, including health, education, justice and local government, as well as the Civil Service.  For this reason, the reform plan also references at a high level some of the key priorities and objectives of the main sectors of the public service.  As set out in the reform plan, the reforms at sectoral level are led by the relevant Ministers and their Departments.  

Overall, the reform programme is about ensuring that services, whether centrally or locally delivered, are as efficient and effective as possible.

See this speech in context