asked the Taoiseach the total number of temporary posts being created in the Central Statistics Office section of his Department for the computation and analysis of the 1986 census of population; the cost of creating these posts; the number of vacancies that will be frozen in local authorities and non-commercial public service bodies throughout the country as a result of these temporary appointments; the amount of money that will be saved by the freezing of these posts in (a) 1985, (b) 1986, (c) 1987 and (d) 1988; and if he will make a statement on this important matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Census of Population.
2.
The total number of temporary posts being created in the Central Statistics Office for the computation and analysis of the 1986 census of population is 181. These comprise 72 in 1985, 104 in 1986 and five in 1987. The 72 posts in 1985 were met by direct levy on Civil Service Departments, 52 and AnCO, 20. The 104 posts in 1986 are being met by a levy imposed on the wider non-commercial public service. The ministerial functional areas for the levy are as follows: Health 29 posts, Environment 29, Agriculture 20, Industry and Commerce 12, Labour ten, Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry two and Public Service two.
The distribution of the posts to be levied as between the different bodies under his control would be a matter for each Minister, subject to overall coordination by the Minister for the Public Service in consultation with the Minister for Finance. A decision on the filling of the five posts in 1987 has not yet been made. As regards cost, the procedure is designed so that there will be no net cost on the Exchequer.
Is the Minister clearly stating that the posts which are being filled are temporary posts and that in order to fill these posts other posts in various Departments are being frozen and are not being filled? Is he implying that there is no freezing of posts in local authorities?
The 1986 posts are being filled as follows: IDA, four; IIRS, four; CTT, two; SFADCo, two; BIM, one; fisheries bords, one; AnCO, ten; local authorities, 29; DPS, two; ACOT, ten; AFT, ten and the health boards 29.
Does the Minister not agree that these are temporary positions and that with the high unemployment we have in the country it would be an opportunity for the Government to give part time employment to some unemployed people? Does he not agree that, due to the fact that positions are being frozen within the public service and particularly at local authority level where there is already a reduction in finances, he is eroding the level of service available to the people from the local authorities throughout the land?
No, I do not agree. We are talking about 29 posts in about 34 local authorities, which is infinitesimal. The Deputy should agree that we are trying to do this job, which is a short term job, within the total public service wage bill. The way we are doing it results in a saving. It would cost the State £339,000. It is an exercise in good financial management and generally good management overall. That is the way we should be looking at expenditure on all issues. We should see what we can do to save money and to make better use of the finance we have and the personnel we have across the public service.
Does the Minister agree that permanent positions in the public service and in local authorities are being frozen to allow for the fact that 181 temporary people will be employed to compute and analyse the census of population? Does he not agree that this is denuding the level of service available to the people? Is it not a negative decision by the Government instead of employing people on a temporary basis to do this job? It should be the function of the Government to get the job done as a matter of urgency and to create some hope for the large volume of unemployed people throughout this land at present.
I do not accept that it is a negative approach. For the first time it is a positive approach to the management of finances. The sooner we come to grips with this the better and stop codding ourselves into thinking that we can raise money here and there and that once the demand arises we can find the money and spend it. That is not the way we will get our finances in order. We have to start making savings where we can. This is a positive approach and I am glad to see that we are operating in this way.
These are only temporary positions.
Because the positions are only frozen, as soon as the computation analysis is done these posts will be open and free again for filling. This is the way to do business.