Public Sector Staff

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 23 June 2010

Wednesday, 23 June 2010

Ceisteanna (67, 68, 69)

Ruairí Quinn

Ceist:

87 Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Finance the number of staff employed by the public service by ministerial Vote group for each year 2002 to 2009; his estimate of the number that will be employed in 2010 and 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27087/10]

Ruairí Quinn

Ceist:

88 Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Finance the number of staff employed by grade for each year 2002 to 2009 in the Civil Service, State agencies, and in local government; his estimate of the numbers that will be employed by grade in 2010 and 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27088/10]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Finance (Deputy Brian Lenihan)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 87 and 88 together.

In 2009, my Department introduced a new system for the monitoring of Public Service Numbers. This system builds on existing systems where possible, including the Civil Service Staff Information Portal (CSSIP). The Public Service Numbers System uses December 2008 as its base and it records information on a quarterly basis.

In the context of Budget 2010, the Government also decided to move to a new, more rigorous approach to controlling public service numbers, centring upon the establishment of agreed annual numbers ceilings, to be managed in accordance with Employment Control Frameworks for each Ministerial Vote Group. The relevant numbers information is set out in Table 1 together with the end-2008 figures. The Ministerial Vote Group ceilings for 2010 and 2011 are subject to technical amendments and further Government consideration in certain cases and are, as always, subject to any future Government policy decisions and priorities in regard to public service provision.

For the period 2002 to 2009, aggregate information is available on a Departmental basis for non-industrial civil servants and on a functional classification basis in respect of the defence sector, the education sector, the health sector, the justice sector, local authorities and non-commercial semi-State bodies (NCSSBs), which fall within the aegis of the various other sectors. Table 2 sets out the public service numbers by functional classification for the period 2002-2009 and again includes the 2010 and 2011 ECF ceilings. Table 3 sets out the Departmental breakdown of non-industrial civil servants for the period 2002 to 2009. The figures for end March 2010 are also included.

Table 4 sets out the non-industrial civil servants by grade for the period 2002 to 2009. The figures for end March 2010 are also included. A grade breakdown is not available for other sectors on a similar basis, given the heterogeneity of grading of grading and responsibilities involved, and the fact that responsibility for managing staffing issues in these areas lies with other Departments (e.g. staffing of Local Authorities is primarily a matter for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government). Under the new Public Service Numbers Policy adopted by the Government in the context of Budget 2010, the distribution of staff by grade is a matter for each Vote Group to manage in line with their needs and priorities, subject to overall staff ceilings and other constraints set out in ECFs.

Table 1: Ministerial Vote Group Numbers end-year 2008 and 2009 plus 2010 and 2011 Ceilings (WTEs)

	End 2008 — Actual	End 2009 — Actual	End 2010 — ECF Ceiling	End 2011 — ECF Ceiling	End 2012 — ECF Ceiling
Finance Group	10,143	9,291	9,355	9,324	9,295
Taoiseach's Group	1,695	1,599	1,597	1,666	1,493
Justice Group	25,608	24,901	24,586	24,446	24,306
Environment Group	37,230	34,093	34,273	34,218	34,168
Education Group	96,813	95,051	95,847	95,923	97,102
CRGA Group	810	797	834	828	824
Foreign Affairs Group	1,544	1,524	1,486	1,464	1,442
CENR Group	1,069	1,043	1,016	993	970
Agriculture Group	6,402	5,780	5,681	5,423	5,316
Transport Group	1,139	1,092	1,046	1,021	1,006
Health Group	112,632	111,377	110,760	109,200	107,640
Enterprise Group	5,551	5,094	5,072	4,872	4,815
AST Group	1,480	1,393	1,397	1,322	1,307
Defence Group	11,667	11,111	11,164	11,124	11,094
SFA Group	4,816	5,091	5,206	5,204	5,202
Oireachtas Commission	496	471	484	475	466
	319,095	309,708	309,804	307,503	306,446

Note: There may be minor discrepancies between tables due to rounding

Table 2 — Public Service Numbers end-year 2002-2009 plus 2010 and 2011 Ceilings (WTEs)

	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
	Actual	Actual	Actual	Actual	Actual	Actual	Actual	Actual	ECF Ceiling	ECF Ceiling
Civil Service	37,796	37,276	36,867	36,533	37,156	38,200	39,313	37,316	37,381	37,104
Defence Sector	11,650	11,559	11,455	11,320	11,330	11,263	11,265	10,736	10,776	10,736
Education Sector	75,720	76,989	79,881	83,435	89,263	90,456	94,663	92,984	93,706	93,806
Health Sector	95,679	95,800	98,723	101,978	106,273	110,600	111,025	109,753	109,100	107,580
Justice Sector	12,642	12,773	13,373	13,392	14,109	14,827	15,385	15,117	14,808	14,777
Local Authorities	34,175	33,845	33,394	34,067	34,681	34,987	35,008	32,044	32,200	32,175
NCSSB	11,612	11,367	11,094	11,404	11,700	11,798	12,433	11,760	11,834	11,325
Total	279,274	279,609	284,787	292,129	304,512	312,131	319,092	309,710	309,804	307,503

Note: There may be minor discrepancies between tables due to rounding

Table 3 — Non-industrial Civil Servants by Department/Office end-year 2002-2009 plus end-March 2010

Department/Office — Serving Non Industrial Civil Servants by WTE	Dec 2002	Dec 2003	Dec 2004	Dec 2005	Dec 2006	Dec 2007	Dec 2008	Dec 2009	March 2010
Agriculture, Fisheries & Food	4,523	4,490	4,540	4,499	4,163	4,294	4,204	3,841	3,734
Attorney General	114	112	116	114	115	129	128	124	122
Central Statistics Office	743	688	679	749	888	825	847	793	747
Chief State Solicitor	203	223	221	226	233	237	245	230	230
Public Appointments Service	172	150	147	125	148	151	146	112	108
Commission For Public Service Appointments			6	8	8	9	12	9	8
Communications, Energy & Nat. Resources	696	686	597	426	471	320	288	273	270
Community, Equality & Gaeltacht Affairs	222	244	255	252	270	274	273	256	253
Comptroller & Auditor General	152	160	157	157	161	140	154	151	152
Courts Service	1,034	1,058	1,041	1,022	1,089	1,113	1,098	1,027	1,024
Defence	415	410	408	425	385	399	402	373	360
Director Of Public Prosecutions	163	167	170	173	175	192	197	195	196
Education & Skills	1,288	1,327	1,472	1,346	1,559	1,601	1,661	1,571	1,553
Enterprise, Trade & Innovation	1,072	1,082	986	973	995	1,046	1,103	1,010	1,010
Environment, Heritage & Local Government	1,345	1,361	1,258	1,252	1,249	1,276	1,204	1,082	1,089
Finance	623	601	582	591	657	658	631	567	558
Foreign Affairs	1,360	1,483	1,393	1,495	1,452	1,559	1,544	1,565	1,563
Health & Children	645	649	626	604	614	604	514	485	472
Justice, Equality & Law Reform	3,306	3,513	3,540	3,412	4,058	4,690	5,289	5,010	4,977
National Gallery	31	30	25	31	33	55	59	56	56
Office Of Public Works	563	560	622	625	681	701	722	671	667
Oireachtas	321	332	324	377	458	465	441	415	416
Ombudsman	76	74	75	74	76	85	94	88	88
Presidents Establishment	21	23	22	16	21	22	21	21	22
Prisons	3,435	3,356	3,309	3,203	3,305	3,501	3,641	3,577	3,545
Revenue Commissioners	6,442	6,426	6,520	6,461	6,670	6,661	6,659	6,117	6,083
Social Protection	4,420	4,311	4,386	4,439	4,473	4,487	4,611	4,911	4,967
State Laboratory	89	93	92	87	91	89	91	91	96

Table 3 — Non-industrial Civil Servants by Department/Office end-year 2002-2009 plus end-March 2010— continued

Department/Office — Serving Non Industrial Civil Servants by WTE	Dec 2002	Dec 2003	Dec 2004	Dec 2005	Dec 2006	Dec 2007	Dec 2008	Dec 2009	March 2010
Taoiseach	218	210	230	202	250	243	233	210	206
Tourism, Culture And Sport	429	437	408	161	160	171	174	152	153
Transport	500	501	491	668	715	468	579	534	528
Valuation Office	132	133	151	150	149	157	158	152	150
Total	34,750	34,889	34,847	34,345	35,770	36,620	37,422	35,670	35,401

Note: Figures provided on the basis of the current line up of Department/Offices

Table 4 — Non-industrial Civil Servants by Grade end-year 2002-2009 plus end-March 2010

Non Industrial Civil Servants Main General Service Grades serving numbers on a WTE basis
Grade Title	Dec-02	Dec-03	Dec-04	Dec-05	Dec-06	Dec-07	Dec-08	Dec-09	Mar-10
Secretary General	17	17	17	17	17	17	17	17	17
Deputy Secretary	3	3	3	3	3	3	2	2	2
Assistant Secretary	132	137	137	137	144	147	156	147	149
Principal	532	605	635	649	711	761	798	710	695
Assistant Principal	1,584	1,785	1,797	1,849	1,996	2,061	2,159	1,993	1,970
Administrative Officer	246	241	219	201	217	226	239	230	233
Higher Executive Officer	2,794	3,007	3,023	3,050	3,175	3,262	3,421	3,279	3,249
Executive Officer	4,019	4,340	4,582	4,596	4,775	4,996	5,197	5,043	5,022
Staff Officer	1,291	1,364	1,475	1,466	1,468	1,494	1,525	1,494	1,500
Clerical Officer	10,442	10,196	10,092	10,123	10,565	10,889	11,097	10,620	10,548
Service Officer	629	635	619	604	610	612	610	589	589
Service Attendent	111	101	98	57	86	92	104	95	96
Total	21,800	22,431	22,697	22,752	23,767	24,557	25,325	24,220	24,071
Professional, Technical and Departmental Grades	12,950	12,458	12,150	11,593	12,003	12,063	12,097	11,449	11,330
Total Non Industrial Civil Servants	34,750	34,889	34,847	34,345	35,770	36,620	37,422	35,670	35,401

Ruairí Quinn

Ceist:

89 Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Finance the action he has taken to reduce the numbers employed in the public service since 2008; the further management measures he will introduce in this respect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27089/10]

Minister for Finance (Deputy Brian Lenihan)

I introduced a number of measures in the course of 2009 that have secured significant reductions in public service numbers since the end of 2008. The first was the introduction of the moratorium on recruitment and promotion at the end of March 2009. This measure has succeeded in ensuring that most of the natural turnover in staff has resulted in reductions in staff numbers, and has underpinned the focus upon greater efficiencies and restructuring of operations across the public service.

In addition to this measure, I introduced two further measures to allow for targeted reductions in staff numbers. The Incentive Scheme for Early Retirement (ISER) and the Special Incentive Career Break Scheme were launched at the end of April 2009 with initial deadlines of 1 September 2009 and 1 July 2009 respectively. The deadline for the ISER was subsequently extended until 16 October 2009. Both Schemes incorporated a strict non-replacement rule.

The overall effect of these measures has been a significant reduction in staff numbers in the civil and public service. Based on the information supplied to my Department, staff numbers have been reduced by around 10,000 between the end of 2008, when the numbers stood at 319,092, and the end of March this year, at 309,106. These estimates, which are on a whole-time equivalent (WTE) basis, are subject to revision. In the context of Budget 2010, the Government also decided to move to a new, more rigorous approach to controlling public service numbers, centring upon the establishment of agreed annual numbers ceilings, to be managed in accordance with Employment Control Frameworks for each Ministerial Vote Group. Employment Control Frameworks work by setting ceilings on the level of staff, on a WTE basis, that each Vote Group can have at the end of 2010, 2011 and 2012. These ceilings are set out in the table below.

	End 2010 — ECF Ceiling	End 2011 — ECF Ceiling	End 2012 — ECF Ceiling
Finance Group	9,355	9,324	9,295
Taoiseach's Group	1,597	1,666	1,493
Justice Group	24,586	24,446	24,306
Environment Group	34,273	34,218	34,168
Education Group	95,847	95,923	97,102
CRGA Group	834	828	824
Foreign Affairs Group	1,486	1,464	1,442
CENR Group	1,016	993	970
Agriculture Group	5,681	5,423	5,316
Transport Group	1,046	1,021	1,006
Health Group	110,760	109,200	107,640
Enterprise Group	5,072	4,872	4,815
AST Group	1,397	1,322	1,307
Defence Group	11,164	11,124	11,094
SFA Group	5,206	5,204	5,202
Oireachtas Commission	484	475	466
	309,804	307,503	306,446

The precise ceilings in each area are subject to technical amendments and further Government consideration in certain cases and are, as always, subject to any future Government policy decisions and priorities in regard to public service provision.