Micheál Martin
Question:273. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on the progress of the Haddington Road agreement. [44104/13]
View answerTuesday, 19 November 2013
Questions (273)
Written answers
The Haddington Road Agreement came into force on 1 July, 2013. The Agreement is comprised of a series of sustainable measures which will deliver a €1 billion reduction in the cost of the public service pay and pensions bill by 2016.
The Agreement is already delivering on its objectives. In terms of cost reduction, €300 million of savings were incorporated into the various votes in the Revised Estimates Volume 2013, which represents a real and tangible reduction in expenditure. In addition, savings under the Agreement were included in the budgetary arithmetic for 2014, in the expenditure ceilings for each vote, as appropriate. Similarly, the savings to be generated from the Agreement in 2015 will be incorporated into the expenditure ceilings for each Vote as part of the estimates process.
Furthermore, since 1 July, a number of changes in work practices and reforms have been implemented. Of particular significance is the fact that public servants are working longer hours as per the terms of the Agreement. This will result in the provision of a total of 15 million additional working hours across all sectors of the Public Service. These additional hours will help us to deliver long term and sustainable increases in productivity, while also helping to improve the provision of services to citizens.
An updated Public Service Reform Plan covering the period 2014 to 2016 is currently being developed. In this context, the Agreement will act as a key enabler for the delivery of the next phase of the Government’s ambitious public service reform programme.
The Haddington Road Agreement is a three-year agreement constructed to deliver continuous sustainable reform in the Public Service with a view to achieving a more efficient and effective Public Service.