Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As I stated in response to the earlier question, the moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the public service will be replaced this year with new arrangements, giving Departments delegated sanction for the management of staffing numbers.  This will be subject to Departments remaining within binding pay ceilings and meeting ongoing efficiency and reform objectives.

Discussions are ongoing between my Department and all other Departments on the necessary structures and controls to govern the new delegated arrangements.  Once agreement is reached on these, formal delegated sanction will issue and Departments will have the freedom to recruit and promote within the set pay bill ceilings.

The moratorium and the ECF, in tandem with our reform programmes, have helped to deliver a more effective and efficient public service, maintaining key service levels as overall staffing levels have reduced.  However, as I have said previously, with the improvement in the public finances and growing demand for public services, the time is now right to return to a more normalised approach to the management of public service staffing and to give public service managers more flexibility to respond to service needs as they arise.

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