Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 November 2004
125 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance, further to Question No. 22 of 14 October 2004, the staff positions which have been suppressed under his decision of December 2002; the public service numbers at December 2002, December 2003 and the forecast for December 2004 and December 2005 under the agreed programme in the various elements of the public service; and the location of the posts yet to be suppressed. [27622/04]
View answerIn December 2002, in order to control public service numbers, the Government decided to cap numbers at the existing authorised level and to reduce numbers by 5,000 across all sectors by the end of 2005. In July 2003 the Government decided on the timing and location of 4,300 of these posts as follows:
|
Reduction in 2003 |
Reduction by 2004 |
Total Reduction by 2005 |
|
|
Health |
200 |
400 |
600 |
|
Education |
200 |
550 |
1,000 |
|
Civil Service |
200 |
550 |
1,000 |
|
Garda Síochána |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Defence Forces |
80 |
220 |
400 |
|
Local Authorities |
333 |
667 |
1,000 |
|
Non-Commercial State- Sponsored Bodies |
60 |
165 |
300 |
|
Total |
1,073 |
2,552 |
4,300 |
The baseline for the reduction was the number of authorised posts in December 2002. While there have been increases in some sectors to reflect ongoing policy developments there has been progress as set out below.
The baseline and the end 2003 numbers are as follows:
|
Baseline end 2002 |
Target end 2003 |
Serving end 2003 |
|
|
Public Service |
|||
|
Civil Service [Non-Industrial] |
36,874 |
36,622 |
35,269 |
|
Civil Service [Industrial] |
2,186 |
2,186 |
2,007 |
|
Health Sector |
96,000 |
95,800 |
96,773 |
|
Education Sector |
78,350 |
78,150 |
78,786 |
|
Defence |
11,800 |
11,720 |
11,559 |
|
Garda |
12,200 |
12,200 |
12,017 |
|
Local Authorities |
34,300 |
33,970 |
33,303 |
|
Non Commercial Semi-States |
9,541 |
9,481 |
9,428 |
|
Total |
281,251 |
280,129 |
279,142 |
The health sector number serving at end 2003 includes staff taken over by health boards who were previously employed by voluntary agencies.
The targets for end 2004 and end 2005 are as follows:
|
Target end 2004 |
Target end 2005 |
|
|
Civil Service [Non Industrials] |
36,269 |
35,824 |
|
Civil Service [Industrials] |
2,163 |
2,142 |
|
Health Sector |
96,950 |
97,550 |
|
Education Sector |
77,800 |
77,350 |
|
Defence |
11,580 |
11,400 |
|
Garda |
12,200 |
12,292 |
|
Local Authorities |
33,633 |
33,300 |
|
Non Commercial Semi-States |
9,376 |
9,241 |
|
Total |
279,971 |
279,099 |
I will now outline the changes that have taken place. The authorised numbers in the health sector have increased to take account of the staffing implications arising from the commissioning of new health units, additional disability posts associated with August 2003 and budget 2004 funding packages and staff taken over by health boards who were previously employed by voluntary agencies. The authorised numbers of gardaí have increased to reflect the decision to increase the number of gardaí to 14,000 by 2008.
The targeted reduction in the Civil Service has been revised slightly upwards from the original figure of 1,000 to reflect in the main the omission of the industrial Civil Service category from the original baseline set at December 2002. The targets for the education sector at end 2004 and 2005 will be reviewed in the light of agreed increases in special needs teachers and assistants.
