The condition of the country's finances mean that further difficult decisions will have to be taken by Government to reduce expenditure on public services. All sectors, including education, are being examined as part of the Comprehensive Expenditure Review and the full range of savings options identified as part of the Review will inform the Government's decisions in the Estimates process.
The options available to my Department to achieve further savings are constrained by several factors. These include:
The specific EU/IMF commitments and targets in relation to a reduction in the overall number of public servants on the payroll including teachers. Employees in the education sector account for close to one third of all employees in the public sector.
Some 77% of the expenditure by the Department of Education and Skills comprises public sector pay and pensions. Public sector pay is protected under the terms of the Croke Park Agreement.
The education sector is facing significant demographic pressures. The school going population is projected to increase by over 40,000 at primary level and by over 25,000 at post primary level over the next 6 years. Enrolments to higher education institutions are projected to increase by over 45,000 during the same period. There are also increased demands for further education and training places.
Savings are required in the Education Vote in order to support a number of planned reforms designed to improve the educational outcomes of all students and learners, a key priority for Government. Such reforms include the implementation of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, reform of the Junior Certificate curriculum, and the completion of the roll-out of 100 MB broadband to second level schools.
The Government is committed to protecting front line education services as far as possible and will strive to protect the most vulnerable at all levels of the education system, but we cannot underestimate the challenge ahead. The state of the country's finances mean that the education sector will have to contribute to the overall budgetary adjustment over the next four years 2012 to 2015. The scope for achieving such savings in the education sector is constrained by the factors I have outlined above.
