Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 September 2017
50. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to increase staffing levels and to ensure adequate funding for same in view of the clear connection between staff shortages and significant crises across the public sector in areas such as housing, health and, in particular, mental health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40480/17]
View answerThe provision for Public Service staffing numbers in 2017 is just under 315,000 Full Time Equivalents (FTEs). This represents an increase of over 8,000 or 2.7% on the 2016 outturn and an increase of over 25,000 or nearly 10% on 2014.
The corresponding provision for the Exchequer pay bill in 2017 is €16.47 billion. This is an increase of approximately €850 million on the 2016 outturn and approximately €2 billion on the 2014 pay bill.
In terms of the sectors specifically highlighted by the Deputy, in the health sector, at the end of June 2017, numbers stood at just under 111,000, an increase of just under 2,000 on the 2016 outturn. In relation to the Health Service Executive, there has been significant provision of additional staff in recent years, increasing by over 11,500 or 12% since 2013, of which approximately 90% would be front-line staff. In the same period, staffing levels in the mental health service of the HSE have increased by 1,744 or nearly 20%.
Much of the staffing dedicated to the area of housing is within the Local Authority sector where staffing allocations and resources are determined by the individual Local Authorities, with appropriate oversight by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. Across both the Department and the Local Authorities, nearly 30,000 staff are currently engaged.
Other Public Service staffing increases provided for in the 2017 Estimates include:
- over 2,500 in the Education Sector, including additional teachers, resource teachers and SNAs;
- an additional 500 Gardaí, and a further 500 additional civilian staff; and
- 400 additional staff in Children and Youth Affairs, including Tusla.
Allocations related to staff increases will be provided in the context of Budget 2018 and will build on the significant increase in resources that have already been committed to support increased service delivery in recent years.
The Deputy will appreciate the importance of ensuring that growth in public service numbers is achieved in a manner that supports the sustainability of both the public service pay bill and the overall fiscal position. The Government's success in this regard is evident from the figures I have set out on the increased numbers of public servants employed in priority front-line service areas against the backdrop of continued improvements in key measures of fiscal performance.
