Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Over the first 15 months of its lifetime, the agreement has been a key enabler in reducing the cost of the public service pay and pensions bill. The cost reductions and productivity increases - the reform dividend, which I explained in some detail the last time we discussed this, which the agreement has facilitated - has allowed the Government the scope in 2014 to recruit additional staff to key front-line services. This demonstrates that the agreement is delivering.

With regard to carrying out a review of the implementation of the agreement, the Deputy may wish to note that it is my intention to publish the annual report of the public service reform programme, including the specific issues addressed in the Haddington Road agreement, in early 2015 in line with the commitment in the Government's public service reform plan.

The Government's focus is now on continuing to maximise the provisions of that agreement and to ensure that the cost of public services and the public service pay bill are kept at sustainable levels. This will require tight control of the public service pay bill while also re-investing some of the benefits of the agreement as things improve to ensure that public services are delivered in the most effective and efficient way. In that context, decisions on future savings and service dividends arising out of the Haddington Road agreement will form part of the overall budgetary process to be announced next week. The terms of the agreement apply to public servants. It does not apply to the employees of bodies that are funded by the State but are not public service bodies as such.

With respect to the query by the Deputy on the numbers affected by increment freezes in the public service, I would refer him to my reply to him on 17 September in which I provided him with this information for the Civil Service. The position as outlined in that response remains unchanged. I understand the Deputy has sought similar information from the relevant Departments in respect of the wider public service so he probably has better information than I have.

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