John Gormley
Question:70 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Finance if up to one-third of the 5,000 job reductions in the public service, outlined in his recent budget speech, are to be sought from the health service. [14672/03]
Written Answers. - Departmental Staff.
John Deasy
Question:81 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Finance the areas of the public service for which he has received an agreed programme of staff reductions as outlined in the budget. [14572/03]
Ciarán Cuffe
Question:102 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Finance if any of the 5,000 job reductions outlined in his budget speech can be sourced from within his own Department; if there are Departments that are not being asked to identify such positions; if so, the reason therefor; and if there are Departments that will be allowed to increase their personnel numbers in the coming year. [14673/03]
Pat Rabbitte
Question:115 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Finance the progress made to date on the planned reduction of 5,000 in the numbers employed in the public service in regard to his announcement in the budget; if particular Departments or areas of the public service have been identified for such staff reductions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14655/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 70, 81, 102 and 115 together.
As I previously indicated, discussions are ongoing with my ministerial colleagues on the reduction over the next three years of 5,000 in authorised public service numbers which I outlined in the budget.
I am in the process of finalising my proposals on how the reduction should be achieved and I will be putting my proposals to Government shortly.
At this stage, I have taken no decisions as to where the reductions in authorised numbers will take place. I have previously stated that I will be seeking to avoid or minimise the effect on front-line staff providing a service to the public and to ensure that essential services to the public will not be affected by the reduction. That said, I expect all Departments to make a contribution to the reduction of 5,000 in the authorised numbers. Naturally, this will include my own Department.
I accept that pressing and unavoidable demands for additional staff arise from time to time. One example would be Ireland's EU Presidency in 2004. These demands will be met in the first instance by savings elsewhere and by re-prioritising other work in the relevant sector where possible.
I accept that some of the Departments-offices which are most involved in the work of the Presidency will need additional staff which cannot be sourced from savings or re-prioritising. In these circumstances, I am willing to sanction extra staff up to the end of June 2004. In addition, I am prepared to agree a phasing of these Departments-offices' contribution to the proposed reductions which in this way will allow them to deliver an efficient and effective contribution to Ireland's Presidency.
Apart from such pressing and unavoidable demands, I would not expect any Departments-offices to increase their authorised numbers in the foreseeable future.