Vol. 476 No. 6
7 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Finance the total growth in public service numbers and the total growth in Civil Service numbers in each of the years from 1992 to date; the reason there has been such growth; and the policies, if any, being followed to restrict the growth of numbers of the public service and the Civil Service. [7688/97]
31 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Finance the total growth in public service numbers and the total growth in Civil Service numbers in each of the years from 1992 to date; the reason there has been such growth; and the policies, if any, being followed to restrict the growth of numbers of the public service and the Civil Service. [7687/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 31 together.
The total number employed in the public service on 1 January 1997 was 218,967 compared to a figure of 204,394 on 1 January 1992. The corresponding figures for the Civil Service were 29,237 on 1 January 1997 and 27,030 on 1 January 1992.
The evolution of these figures is set out in the following table which I propose to circulate in the Official Report.
Public services are, of their nature, labour intensive. New or expanded services have inevitable consequences for staffing levels. In recent years, there has been an increase in staff numbers reflecting improved services arising from successive Government programmes. The growth in public service numbers since 1992 mainly reflects improvements in services provided in the health and education sectors. In the health sector, this has been due to a wide range of improvements in hospital and other services, in particular, acute hospitals, nurse education and training, mental handicap and child care. In education, increased staffing levels have resulted from Government policy to improve retention rates at second level and in response to increased student numbers at second and third level. The commitment to improve the pupil-teacher ratio at primary level has also maintained staffing levels in cases of falling enrolments.
In the Civil Service, successive Governments have responded to demands for the improvement of existing services or the introduction of new ones. The growth has mainly occurred in Justice — in areas such as the prison service, support staff for the gardaí and the courts — and Social Welfare.
Recognising the need to ensure that the increase in public service numbers does not place too great a burden on the economy, the Government has introduced measures to control growth in various sectors, taking account of economic and social needs. There is a consistent policy to contain overall public service numbers, to agree to increases only where there is a compelling social, economic or administrative case for doing so, and to reduce numbers where feasible. Upper limits have been set on the level of recruitment to the health and education sectors as part of the process of settling the annual expenditure estimates.
In the Civil Service an embargo was introduced in mid-1995 on the creation of new posts, as well as a one-in-three restriction on the filling of vacancies. This was superseded in mid-1996 by a new approach whereby the Government set a core manpower target for each Department or office, to be achieved by 1 July 1997. In many cases, this will involve actual reductions in numbers.
Departments have been reminded recently of their requirement to meet these targets. Specific Government sanction is required before an additional post can be created. As a result of these measures, non-industrial Civil Service numbers, which had peaked at 29,491 on 1 January 1996, dropped to 29,237 on 1 January 1997, a decrease of 254 over that 12 month period.
In the public service overall, there was an increase of more than 14,500 posts between 1 January 1992 and 1 January 1997. However, the Government's policy is making an impact. In recent years the growth in numbers has slowed considerably. The increase in numbers in 1996 was just over 600, which compares favourably with increases of approximately 3,000 and 4,500 in the preceding two.
Public Service Employment (at 1 January)
|
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
|
|
Civil Service |
28,887 |
29,519 |
29,654 |
30,155 |
31,282 |
31,016 |
|
Non-Industrial |
27,030 |
27,698 |
27,832 |
28,370 |
29,491 |
29,237 |
|
Industrial |
1,857 |
1,821 |
1,822 |
1,785 |
1m791 |
1,779 |
|
Garda Sáochána |
11,303 |
11,463 |
11,468 |
11,372 |
11,391 |
11,527 |
|
Gardaí |
10,786 |
10,984 |
10,895 |
10,818 |
10,825 |
10,825 |
|
Recruits |
413 |
357 |
453 |
437 |
455 |
591 |
|
Traffic Wardens |
104 |
122 |
120 |
117 |
111 |
111 |
|
Defence Forces |
||||||
|
Military |
13,119 |
12,951 |
12,740 |
13,015 |
12,814 |
12,258 |
|
Civilian Employees of the Department of Defence |
1,445 |
1,410 |
1,340 |
1,340 |
1,323 |
1,310 |
|
Education |
55,382 |
57,163 |
58,551 |
60,436 |
61,403 |
61,753 |
|
NCSSB'SM |
8,047 |
8,136 |
8,171 |
8,579 |
8,501 |
8,727 |
|
Health Services |
59,496 |
60,459 |
61,810 |
63,939 |
65,169 |
65,776 |
|
Local Authorities |
26,715 |
26,793 |
27,060 |
26,540 |
26,479 |
26,660 |
|
Officers |
9,098 |
9,217 |
9,553 |
9,646 |
9,875 |
9,996 |
|
Servants |
17,617 |
17,576 |
17,507 |
16,894 |
16,604 |
16,604 |
|
Public Service |
204,394 |
207,894 |
210,794 |
215,376 |
218,362 |
218,967 |
Figures are on 1 January each year and are whole-time equivalents.
Local Authority figures are not included in the Public Service Pay Bill.
The figures quoted by the Minister are at variance with official figures published by the CSO in February 1997 which are higher by several percentage points. At the end of 1995 total public sector employment had increased to 281,000. Is the continuing upward trend not regrettable, particularly with the advent of computerisation on a wide scale and bearing in mind the expensive efforts in the late 1980s to reduce numbers? They were back to their original level within a relatively short period in the 1990s?
I will clarify the discrepancy the Deputy has brought to my attention and we can examine the figures later. I share the Deputy's concern. My Cabinet colleagues are acutely aware of my concern in this regard. There have been repeated demands from parties on all sides for an improvement in services, such as child care and prison facilities, all of which are labour intensive. The SMI is an attempt to introduce over a period structural change in the operation and performance of the public service, particularly the Civil Service. We will mimic what has happened in some areas of the private sector where productivity has increased with similar, and in some cases smaller numbers, because of the advent of new technology and changed working practices, but that will take time. In the meantime, we have capped the number in the Civil Service with particular reference to Health and Education. That is not to say, however, there is not a constant demand for improvement in services from Members on all sides of the House. Because of economic constraints, this and successive Administrations will have to improve the quality of services while at the same time not increasing on a pro rata basis the number of people employed.
Written Answers follow Adjournment Debate.
