Written answers

Thursday, 19 July 2012

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

Public Sector Staff

5:00 pm

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 280: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans for further reductions in public sector numbers including redundancies and early retirements in 2012 and 2013; the criteria being examined for where the reduction in numbers will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36798/12]

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I am pleased to inform the Deputy that significant progress is being made in reducing the numbers employed in the Public Service. The numbers working in the public service have continued to fall, with the provisional outturn for Quarter 1 2012 standing at 292,000. This is 28,000 below the peak numbers level of 320,000 in 2008.

However, in order to reach the Government's numbers target of 282,500 by 2015 all Departments/Offices have been requested to look at radically different models of public service delivery, as set out in the Government's Reform Agenda. Departments/Offices will also have to critically examine the priority services that will be required in the future. Schemes, programmes and bodies which can be radically altered, curtailed or eliminated entirely should be identified.

We are considering a range of measures including the potential use of targeted exit mechanism schemes in instances where staff surpluses are identified. In the event of voluntary redundancy being introduced, the terms of the Collective agreement on redundancy payments to Public Servants would apply. These terms are similar to those offered in the recent past to staff in the HSE and Teagasc. It is important to make clear that voluntary redundancy is not a right and it would be a matter for the Minister and senior management of each Department/Office to select suitable candidates, grades, locations or skills for either inclusion or exclusion from a proposed scheme.

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