Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

This has worked very well on an ad hoc basis up to now. Obviously, it is a matter of voluntary movement within the public service. As I indicated on Second Stage, we have discussed this with the unions and they are fully conversant with all of it. The legislation has been drafted to give effect to the agreement reached with the trade unions on pay and mobility.

I acknowledge Senator Byrne's wish to provide staff with the maximum possible opportunity to volunteer for available posts. In essence, what is suggested in the amendment is a requirement that, where the skills being sought are available across the public service generally, the Public Appointments Service ask all 300,000 public servants if they wish to volunteer. That is not practical. We have had 10,000 voluntary movements in the last few years. People see the positions that are available, they volunteer and are moved within the architecture of Croke Park I. That will continue under the agreed architecture of the Haddington Road agreement, hopefully. Redeployment is obviously a better option than redundancy. We have had in the past ridiculous situations in which people had literally no work. In some State agencies, they sat for years on end with no work while drawing a wage. In the current climate, that is entirely unacceptable and no trade union or other person is arguing for it.