Dáil debates

Wednesday, 25 March 2015

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions

Public Sector Staff Data

9:30 am

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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1. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide a list of the requests received by the Department for additional staff that were approved, partially granted or refused in respect of all Departments and agencies in 2014 and in 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12044/15]

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Minister provide a list of requests received by the Department for additional staff from other Departments and agencies that were approved, partially granted and, in particular, those refused last year and this year to date?

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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A full list detailing all of the individual requests for additional staff received from every Department since the beginning of last year will be forwarded to the Deputy directly. This information will reflect positions taken under the moratorium on recruitment and promotions in the Civil Service and the public service which was introduced in 2009 as an emergency response to the crisis in the public finances. As the Deputy is aware, in the budget last October I announced the new arrangements for bringing the moratorium to an end.

Overall, the information will show that, even under the moratorium, public service numbers increased by more than 1,400 in 2014, the first increase in overall numbers since 2008. This was the reform dividend about which we spoke here. At budget time last October I also made provision for an additional 1,700 teachers, special needs assistants and resource teachers, as well as additional front-line staff in the health service and 300 new Garda recruits. I expect many of these to come into the public service during the course of this year.

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I will not start on a confrontational note, but I had hoped to receive the list here.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I have it and can pass it over. It is extremely long.

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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That is why I asked for it. I am pleased the Minister has it and that I will receive it during the course of the day.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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It will be e-mailed to the Deputy directly.

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The purpose of my question was to examine the details. I accept that there has been an increase in staff in key areas, as the Minister mentioned. In this regard, the recruitment to An Garda Síochána is welcome. Some of the additional teaching staff will replace teachers who are leaving. Maintaining teacher numbers is primarily designed to reflect the growth in the population, but the pupil-teacher ratio in schools is not being reduced. I am concerned about services in County Laois about which I have heard in the past year, in particular orthodontics. Every child is meant to be checked by a dentist before leaving primary school and receive treatment, but this is not happening owing to a lack of staff. This is but one example; I will also mention speech and language therapy. This is partially due to the recruitment embargo.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I will not deny the pressure we have kept on reducing staff numbers has had an impact, but the contribution made by the reduction in the overall public pay bill was a critical contributor to the economic improvement we can see, particularly in the ESRI's report published today. I will send the Deputy two very long tables. Most requests are granted because Departments know what will make it through and what will not and normally they do not apply for something which does not have a prospect of being successful. The Deputy will see there is a very long list and I have tried to be as flexible as I can in the case of critical positions which adversely impact either on public services or carrying out normal public duties such as in Revenue. The Deputy will have a chance to go through the list in some detail and more questions might arise after he has had an opportunity to do so at his leisure.

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I accept in good faith the list the Minister will send me and he can expect a response from me once I have seen it. Inevitably, I will concentrate on critical areas in which requests for staff were not approved. While I welcome the recruitment of 300 gardaí, they are not sufficient. We have all seen the need for additional gardaí and the reduction in the number of gardaí on the streets. If it is of any assistance to An Garda Síochána, I support a call for further gardaí to be recruited. I am concerned about the number of gardaí in drug squads being reduced in certain areas. I am also concerned about the system of penalty points, some of which are issued by gardaí and others through the use of GoSafe cameras, as there is a need for greater concentration on road safety in some areas. I am also concerned about fire services throughout the country. I am most concerned, however, about front-line services and have mentioned several areas in the health and education sectors. I look forward to going through the list during the course of the day and the Minister will hear from me.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The ethos I have tried to bring in in the past four years is that when there is a pressure point, it is not always about a need for more resources but for proper analysis of how we deploy the resources we have available. The Deputy mentioned An Garda Síochána. The Garda Inspectorate has conducted a comprehensive review which has showed up some shocking things and major reform of An Garda Síochána is under way because of it. One of the issues is the haphazard way in which gardaí are deployed. There is no scientific policing mechanism. It is as if as we have always done this way, it is the way we will do it. It is the same in the case of Garda vehicles. There is no structured way for how they are deployed. Part of the objective of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is not only to control expenditure but also to provide for rational expenditure to most effect and the greatest benefit of the citizen. The reform element in all public expenditure - I know that the Deputy will agree - will continue to be an important feature.