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Public Service Staff

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 February 2012

Wednesday, 1 February 2012

Ceisteanna (89)

Thomas P. Broughan

Ceist:

90 Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of jobs that have been eliminated in the public service and semi-State sectors in 2011; the likely outcome in terms of job cuts in both sectors in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5800/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As part of its Reform Agenda, the Government is committed to reducing public service numbers to 282,500 by the end of 2015 with the aim of producing a more customer-focused, leaner, more efficient, better integrated public service which delivers maximum value for money.

Numbers employed in the Public Service and Non-commercial State Agencies (NCSAs) are estimated to have decreased by over 8,000 in 2011.

It would not be correct to equate the reduction in numbers employed with a loss of specific numbers of jobs or a reduction in public services. Where vacancies arise it is a matter for local management to reorganise work, change methods of service delivery or redeploy staff to the most critical areas in order to ensure services are maintained in keeping with Government policy.

Meeting our challenging numbers targets will require continued implementation of the moratorium on recruitment with exceptions being limited to only essential posts and the utilisation of redeployment as the primary mechanism to fill posts which have been approved. Only after all mechanisms set out in the Public Service Reform Plan are utilised will the issue of recruitment for current or emerging business needs arise.

Should a Department identify a potential exception to the moratorium on recruitment the sanction of my Department must then be sought. Exceptions to the moratorium may be granted on the following basis:

a) statutory posts which have to be filled for legal reasons;

b) where failure to fill posts would result in a breach of EU/international regulations and impact upon exports etc.;

c) safety related posts — failure to fill them could leave the state open to potential legal liabilities or for security reasons;

d) specialist/technical posts to ensure continuity of operations e.g. legal officers; laboratory staff, maritime safety, etc.;

e) to ensure continuity of frontline services.

In addition, in the case of the Education and Health Sector, a number of grades are exempted from the moratorium in order to ensure that certain services are maintained.

Each Sector in the Public Service has been establishing its own Strategic Workforce Planning Group to ensure that sectoral employers are developing plans to deal with the operational and strategic consequences arising from staffing reductions in the coming years. The sectoral groups are liaising with the central Strategic Workforce Planning Forum under my Department.

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