Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I have bored the House in recent weeks by referring daily to the Croke Park agreement and the lack of political traction in making it work. I compliment the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, on being the first Minister to give political traction to it. This issue must be closely scrutinised. I have listened to people who have criticised the agreement and suggest it cannot work, will not bring savings or efficiencies and will not happen. I listened to Deputies Noonan and Burton state correctly after they had emerged from the Department of Finance last week that nothing had been saved under the agreement thus far. It appears as though one Minister has come up with a plan to reduce numbers in the public service by up to 5,000 that will result in savings of €200 million or more a year. The agreement should deliver €1 billion in savings a year and reduce public sector numbers by approximately 20,000. The proposal made would go one quarter of the way towards achieving this. However, if people can only find problems in response to it, we are going nowhere. If politicians cannot discern that this is the road forward, there is no basis for them to seek the levers of power. Moreover, those who think it takes four weeks to make a decision should not be allowed to vote. It seems clear that this is something that must be done. Certain measures must be taken.

The HSE should put in place an advice line to provide advice and support on a number of issues, including taxation, social welfare and pension arrangements. It should also arrange to hold retirement seminars and similar stuff. Such a mechanism must be put in place in order that people will have all of the facts available to them. However, I ask colleagues to think about this point. When one hears about the problems this will create, it points to what is required under the Croke Park agreement, namely, flexibility and mobility, as well as financial and quality control. These are the measures that must be taken and they must and will be delivered in the current financial year. That was the thinking from the outset and this proposal would take us one quarter of the way. However, if politicians consider this to be too much, we are going nowhere.

It is also a response to those who talk about the Croke Park agreement as something from which we should walk away. If it is done properly, it can deliver savings of €1 billion a year, as well as efficiencies and a reduction in numbers. It can be done voluntarily with the support of all the partners involved. It would be ironic were we to get that far with all of the people involved, yet at the same time fail to get political support for it. I want to hear what other Departments have to offer at this point. Members must support this measure rather than find problems with it. While, of course, there will be difficulties, this is the way forward.