Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 July 2012
242 Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on the Croke Park agreement; when he expects further savings; when he expects discussions to begin on its successor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36221/12]
View answerThe Public Service Agreement 2010-2014 is a key strategic framework which is enabling the Government to significantly reduce public service costs and to fundamentally reform the way the public service works with the co-operation of staff.
The Implementation Body for the Agreement has published two annual reports to date. Both of these reports show clearly that the Agreement is delivering on its objectives and that it continues to make an important contribution to economic recovery. For example, the Body's second report published on 13 June found, inter alia , that:
The Agreement continues to be an effective enabler for the implementation of required reform and change across the public service. It is facilitating a significant reduction in staff numbers and is allowing significant restructuring to be implemented in a climate of sustained industrial relations stability and staff co-operation;
The Agreement has succeeded in delivering significant Exchequer pay bill savings and non-pay administrative efficiency savings directly related to many of the plans implemented under it. An estimated €810m in sustainable pay bill savings has been achieved during the first two years of the Agreement and some €678m in non-pay or administrative efficiency savings; and
A broad range of reform initiatives have been progressed both centrally and locally across the public service in such areas as redeployment, revised roster arrangements and work practice changes, reconfiguration of services and rationalization of offices and structures and the introduction of streamlined, centralised and shared service arrangements.
The Government has welcomed the progress that has been made to date but has also called on the parties to intensify their efforts over the coming period to accelerate the implementation of priority reform measures under the Agreement and to explore all opportunities for extracting further pay bill and non-pay administrative efficiency savings given the challenges the country continues to face.
The Implementation Body will undertake its next review of the savings and reform being enabled under the Agreement in spring 2013. The Agreement is set over a four year period from 2010 to 2014. There are no discussions currently envisaged in relation to a successor Agreement.
