Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 127: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has examined the current or potential impact of public service pay or numbers policy on the ability of organisations under his control to allocate and oversee the efficient use of State resources [17970/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As the Deputy will be aware the Programme for Government contains a commitment to reduce the total number of public sector employees by between 18,000 and 21,000 by 2014, compared to the total number at the end of 2010. The key to ensuring the successful fulfilment of this commitment is by ensuring that the Public Service Agreement 2010 – 2014 is implemented fully throughout the public sector.

In the Education sector there have been substantial savings arising from the implementation of staffing and budgetary measures in the period since March 2010. The Moratorium and Employment Control Frameworks have resulted in significant decreases in staffing and payroll savings since the negotiation of the Public Service Agreement.

As you will be aware the Implementation Body established under the Agreement published its first report recently. The Implementation Body considers that the Agreement is a key enabler of economic recovery as it provides for:- more productive public services underpinning wider economic recovery;- more focused public services to support citizens and business affected by the current downturn; and- stability, certainty and a climate of industrial peace, contributing to the restoration of Ireland's reputation. The Agreement provides the mechanism to secure the active co-operation of staff for the changes needed to ensure the significant ongoing reduction in numbers does not adversely impact on services. The Body noted that, since the Agreement was reached at the end of March 2010, there has been initial progress in achieving an increasingly integrated public service which is significantly leaner, more productive and more focussed on the needs of citizens and business. In addition to directly attributable savings, the Agreement is enabling the implementation of measures by my Department which will deliver savings to the Exchequer, because the Agreement and the action plan require unions to co-operate with numbers reductions, Employment Control Frameworks and other budgetary efficiency measures. In the higher education sector, staff numbers have fallen significantly in the last 12 months while student numbers are increasing (3% additional students attending Universities and 12.5% additional students attending IOTs). Non-teaching staff numbers have also fallen in VECs and community and comprehensive schools. These staff numbers reductions are being managed successfully which is especially noteworthy given the increasing student numbers attending primary, secondary and third-level education in the State. As well as enabling management in the education sector to manage services with reduced numbers and budgets, the Public Service Agreement means that teachers and lecturers are required to work additional time. These blocks of additional time, which will be used to maintain and improve education delivery, are significant and would cost substantial sums of money were we to have to pay staff to work them. However, under the Public Service Agreement they are being provided by teachers and lecturers at no additional payroll cost. I firmly believe that the full implementation of this Agreement in the Education sector will facilitate the required reduction in public service numbers in the sector while continuing to sustain and even enhance the delivery of excellent public services, both to the growing cohort of students accessing the Irish education system, and to the wider public.