Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To date, the Public Service Pay Commission has completed two reports that address recruitment and retention issues in the public service. The first report, which was published on 9 May 2017, primarily focused on the unwinding of the financial emergency measures legislation. The Government asked the commission, in making its findings, to take account of evidence on recruitment and retention issues arising in the public service. The commission found that "evidence suggests that there are not significant recruitment difficulties to the various large scale public service vocational streams". It advised that "consideration could be given to commissioning a more comprehensive examination of underlying difficulties in recruitment and retention in those sectors and employment streams where difficulties are evident". Under the terms of the public service stability agreement, PSSA, the commission was commissioned to undertake a more comprehensive examination of the limited recruitment and retention issues in the public service. The commission's work is constrained by its terms of reference and by the PSSA and does not amount to a review of the pay a particular group or groups of workers. As Deputies will be aware, the commission's second report focused on recruitment and retention in our health services. It concluded that "current pay rates do not appear to be unduly affecting the number of nurses, midwives and doctors applying to work abroad". It considered that "national levels of nursing and midwifery turnover rates do not indicate a generalised retention crisis". It found that "the available evidence suggests that none of the turnover rates reported are significantly out of line with those experienced in private sector employment". The commission made a number of recommendations, which I accept. I want to use this opportunity to thank it and to acknowledge the work it has done to date.

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