asked the Minister for Finance the type of control mechanisms operated centrally by his Department regarding Civil Service numbers and the way in which they assist in the identification of staff surpluses in all Government Departments; the number of times in the last three months these mechanisms have been used in order to redeploy staff within the Civil Service, in which Departments this has occurred; the officers in his Department who have responsibility for operating these control mechanisms; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Civil Service Staff.
48.
My Department monitors the numbers serving and occurrence of vacancies in every area of the Civil Service by means of monthly returns from all Departments. This information together with the Department's knowledge and experience of the operations of the Civil Service enables the Department to decide what areas are in most need of staff and what areas could release staff without disruption to essential services. Over the last three months, staff have been identified for redeployment on 14 occssions.
The following Departments and offices have been nett contributors of staff: Finance, Defence, Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, Environment, Civil Service Commission, Energy, Industry and Commerce, Education, Justice, OPW, Ombudsman, Communications, Tourism and Transport, Health, Stationery Office, Valuation Office and the Farm Tax Office.
The following Departments have been nett recipients of staff: Revenue, Social Welfare, Marine and Health.
The mechanism described above are operated as part of the duties of a Vote control section of my Department which deals with Civil Service staff numbers and grading.
I thank the Minister for his detailed reply. I would like to ask him if there is also an emphasis on increasing productivity in the Civil Service Departments alongside the requirement to reduce numbers and in that connection are there any programmes of efficiency improvement in each Department which would increase this productivity.
It is an aspect of things that are looked at in relation to what I said in the reply that the personnel dealing with this in the Department of Finance are very expert and experienced in their jobs and they know where there may be extra staff and where further staff are required. I am sure that in assessing such a decision-making process that productivity and efficiency are taken into account.
I refer more specifically to efforts towards increasing productivity that would be across the board and not just affecting those areas where there seem to be excess numbers. I want to ask the Minister if there would be programmes introduced which would improve the efficiency in each Department and if the results could be built into the monthly returns.
As a further supplementary I would like to ask the Minister how many meetings he has had with other Ministers specifically to examine the areas of overlap and duplication in the public service. In that regard can the Minister say if a programme of priority areas has been drawn up which the Civil Service will look to where there might be overlap and duplication.
I can reply to both the Deputy's questions in the same way. As the Deputy is aware and as most people outside of the House are aware, the Government have decided that expenditure reviews should be undertaken in every single Department. The Taoiseach has been involved in this. A number of Departments have already undergone the process and many are undergoing the process. All of those reviews will come before the Government for decision. In that context staffing, programmes, services and so on will be taken into account not only in relation to additional savings that might be made in 1987 but also for the purpose of continuing the efforts of this Government in effecting savings in 1988 and beyond.
I appreciate what the Minister says about the review of the expenditure in various Departments but I am interested in whether we will have programmes drawn up which will be effective not just in the immediate future but in the long term. Is the Minister satisfied that there will not be a real reduction in services by reason of the cuts in numbers? It is in that connection that I ask about productivity and the efforts towards it. Will the Minister agree or disagree that there will be a reduction in services attached to the cuts in numbers?
In some areas there may be cuts in services and in other areas services may be eliminated if they are not required.
In connection with productivity?
In connection with any area of expenditure covered by the word productivity. I am not arguing against the principle outlined by the Deputy. I fully agree with her approach to this. To achieve what we would like to see this process must be undergone. I am quite satisfied that arising from that review we will have a much better, more streamlined and cost effective service generally. This is our approach in the context of the national debt and in the context of the high level of taxation.