Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 March 2004
26 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for Finance the reason for the discrepancy between the figures of his Department and those of the Central Statistics Office and FÁS in relation to growth of public sector jobs in 2003. [8971/04]
View answer71 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Finance his plans for the development of public service numbers over the next three years. [8702/04]
View answerI propose taking Questions Nos. 26 and 71 together.
The FÁS labour market commentary drew employment figures from the CSO quarterly national household survey 2003 quarter 3 which do not purport to be an indicator of public service employment. As I have stated previously, the CSO classification of "Public Services" includes sizeable private sector elements in the Health and Education sectors including work without a public sector parallel. For example the health sector figure includes private sector health practitioners and providers and also private crèche workers. The education sector figure includes private schools, colleges, and training providers.
As regards public sector employment, a more relevant CSO series is that on public sector employment and earnings, although it should be noted that this survey includes the commercial State companies, which are not covered by the Government's numbers policy, and only includes figures in respect of the health sector, which is covered by the numbers policy, annually, in respect of December, rather than quarterly as for all other sectors. The most recent figures available under this series are in respect of September 2003, published on 18 February. This shows a reduction of 5,000, from 240,700 to 235,700, between June and September 2003. There is certainly a seasonal element in this but the reduction in 2003 was more than double the average reduction in the same months in the previous three years.
It is also worth noting that the CSO figures under both headings discussed above include all employees whether full-time or part-time. The surveys cover those who worked at least one hour in the reference week for most sectors. The most appropriate measure for the purposes of monitoring the effect of the Government's policy on public service numbers is whole time equivalents. On this basis my Department's figures show a total public service employment of 279,274 at 31 December 2002 and an estimated 279,991 at 31 December 2003 with a projected figure of 278,145 at the end of 2004.
Therefore, the level of public service employment, having risen steadily over several years up to 2002, stabilised in 2003 and should fall this year. Within that overall 2003 picture, numbers are marginally up in the health sector, attributable mainly to persons taken on as public servants during 2003 following the withdrawal of certain private and voluntary providers from areas of the health service; numbers in the Education sector rose by about 1,250, largely attributable to special needs education provision; while numbers reduced in the rest of the public service.
I intend achieving a reduction of 5,000 in authorised numbers by the end of 2005. I consider that good progress has been made to date and I am satisfied public service employers are taking the appropriate steps to ensure that this demanding target will be reached.
