Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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I sincerely thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this issue and I would like to acknowledge the presence of the two Ministers of State.

One of the biggest ever brain drains from Ireland will take place within the next few months when dozens of teachers, gardaí and other public servants are expected to opt for early retirement, as they fear that their pension entitlements will be slashed in the budget. Up to 1,000 gardaí can take early retirement while almost as many teachers are in the same position.

The reason for the rush to the door is that any public service worker who retires before the end of next February will do so on full pension. However, for those retiring after the February cut-off point, recent public sector pay cuts will be reflected in their pensions.

The exodus to which I refer will rob schools and the Garda of their most experienced members of staff. Government Deputies have urged caution and stated that those contemplating early retirement should have their futures well planned before taking drastic action. There are concerns that if there is a mass departure of teachers, this will have a negative impact on our schools both in terms of these individuals' experience and the voluntary work they do, particularly in the context of sport. Many public servants who work for county and city councils are considering bailing out amid fears of their pension entitlements being dramatically reduced. It has been claimed that if a significant number of gardaí retire early, this will leave rural communities vulnerable to attack because there is no recruitment taking place at present and these officers will not, therefore, be replaced.

I am aware of large numbers of gardaí, teachers, nurses and other health workers who have opted to take early retirement. The departure of these vastly experienced and highly-qualified personnel will cause difficulties in the context of the delivery of services. What must be borne in mind in respect of this matter is the amount of money it cost to train each of these individuals. Many thousands of euro were spent on programmes designed to allow the people to whom I refer to operate to very high standards and to ensure that - regardless of whether they are gardaí, nurses, senior or junior civil servants - they are at the top of their game. All of these individuals are all highly experienced. During the past four years, thousands of primary school teachers have retired. Many of those who retired during the past 12 months could have remained in employment for much longer and probably would have done so were it not for the dramatic changes introduced in respect of pension entitlements.

The Garda is facing a brain drain at senior management level. Of the 44 chief superintendents across the force, some 33 are in a position to take early retirement at any stage. If these senior officers were all to leave the force, it would leave an alarming imbalance in the context of experience. The position in this regard could be replicated across all other areas of the public service. It must be remembered that individual officers build up a wealth of experience during their time on the force.

With the embargo in place and with those at the top departing, it does not take a genius to identify the fact that it is front line services which will suffer. The Government and all State agencies must to learn the difference between maintaining budgets and maintaining the basic services that are required. There is nothing more basic than caring for the weakest and most vulnerable citizens. On my first day as a Member of this House, I reminded the Taoiseach of the late Declan Costello's paper, Towards a Just Society. Now, more than any other time in the history of the State, we must develop a just and fair society for all our citizens.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Healy-Rae for raising this matter. I note his concern with regard to the loss of skills and expertise in the public service and how this might impact on service delivery.

The first point I would make is that Ireland is committed, under the EU-IMF programme, to reducing the overall size of the public service. That is also a key element of the programme for Government. This means that when public servants choose to retire, they will not be replaced in the majority of cases. Delivering this reduction will require continued implementation of the moratorium on recruitment - with exceptions being limited to essential posts only - and the utilisation of redeployment as the primary mechanism to fill posts which have been approved. In order to protect front-line services, the Government is committed to making fundamental changes to the way the public service operates. This will inevitably mean altering in the way in which services to the public are delivered. The retirement of long-serving staff in any organisation can represent a loss of skills and experience but it can also represent an opportunity for an organisation to consider re-fashioning its business delivery model in order to take account of changing circumstances. There is also an opportunity for more junior staff to take on leadership roles and this can have a very positive impact on service delivery.

The Government must deliver better value in the public sector in order to reduce the deficit and protect front line services. In the first instance, it is part of the day-to-day function of the boards of management of many public bodies to assess and budget and plan for current and ongoing staffing requirements, including the identifying of key posts and services, particularly those relating to front line services. Given the acute fiscal restraints under which the country is currently operating, however, the reality is that all public service employers must operate within necessarily reduced and reducing resources. In recent years, enhanced numbers monitoring systems and multi-annual employment frameworks have been put in place. These arrangements will be strengthened to ensure that effect will be given to Government decisions on public service numbers and they will aid public bodies in adjusting to future staffing levels while minimising impacts on services.

The Government is not operating a blanket embargo on recruitment to the public service. In order to protect crucial services, exceptions to the moratorium may be granted in respect of: statutory posts which, for legal reasons, must be filled; circumstances where failure to fill posts would result in a breach of EU-international regulations and impact upon exports etc.; safety-related posts, which must be filled for security reasons or failure to fill which could leave the State open to potential legal liabilities; specialist-technical posts to ensure continuity of operations - for example, legal officers; laboratory staff, maritime safety personnel, etc.; and ensuring the continuity of front line services. The list of exceptions granted is regularly reported to the House in replies to parliamentary questions. This was most recently done on 16 November last.

As the Deputy is aware, in the case of certain front line services in the education and health sectors, a number of grades are exempted from the moratorium. This is to ensure that the services to which I refer will be maintained. In any large organisation there will inevitably be a turnover in staff numbers. However, the reason for any particular vacancy arising - whether as a result of early retirement, maternity leave, career break, resignation, etc. - is not a factor in decisions relating to exceptions to the moratorium. These decisions are based purely on the business case made in respect of particular vacancies.

It is critical that public service management should ensure that the public service continues to operate services properly and prudently, notwithstanding the departure of large numbers of experienced staff in a relatively short timeframe. This will require careful planning at local level. The recent introduction of the requirement to give three months' notice of intention to retire will be of assistance in this regard. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is supporting the establishment of strategic manpower planning groups in each sector. Sectoral employers that are best placed to assess emerging sectoral challenges will be expected to develop plans to deal with the operational and strategic consequences arising from the outflow of staff in 2012 and future years. The sectoral groups will feed into a central strategic manpower planning forum under the aegis of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I am glad he is present because he is an extremely sensible individual and will appreciate what I am going to say. This country cannot manage without the requisite number of people - regardless of whether it is a street cleaner who works for the local authority, a nurse who works in a hospital or a garda who pounds his or her beat - required to deliver front line services. We need the people to whom I refer in order to keep the country going.

I appreciate the constraints that apply and I am not criticising the Minister of State because I understand the adverse position in which we currently find ourselves. However, large numbers of people cannot continue to retire from the public service and draw down their pensions because there will be no one left to provide services. People must go to work every day and fulfil the different roles to which I referred earlier. I appreciate that the Government is not applying a blanket embargo on recruitment. It must be recognised, however, that fewer services are available than was the case in the past. People are continually being lost from the public service. If a council employee who works in a small village either dies or retires, he will not be replaced. This is having an affect throughout the country.

I am aware that the Minister of State was obliged to deliver a standard reply in respect of this matter. He knows what I am saying is sensible and factual. We will still need staff to run this country and to provide the necessary services. We cannot remain in the present mode where staff are either retiring or, unfortunately, dying and nobody is replacing them. A country cannot function that way. The Minister of State knows I am right.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Staff will be always replaced. If there is a staffing schedule of teachers and there are X number of pupils, according to the computation there are Y number of teachers. Even if there are retirements in the teaching professions, new teachers will be recruited because we have a staffing schedule which protects front-line services. The same applies to nurses.

Where redeployment will happen - it is happening - is in the general public service. For example, more than 500 public servants moved from a variety of Departments last year to the Department of Social Protection to deal with the exceptional demands on its services, of which Deputy Healy-Rae will be aware. That happened because of the Croke Park agreement. That is the new public service. In the next few years, staff will move all over the place in the new public service. This will involve staff working together to deal with existing demands.

The only other option in response to what Deputy Healy-Rae is saying is that public service staff take another cut in pay. If he is suggesting that in order to keep staff in place we will have to take another 20%, 25% or 30% - call it what one will - off the public sector pay bill, that is not in anyone's interest.

I assure Deputy Healy-Rae that, with flexibility and a rearrangement of resources, front-line delivery of services will be protected. There also will be new opportunities for younger people who know that, if and when the economy is turned around, they will be the new managers of a public service that will be radically different from the public service of the past.