Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 July 2013
148. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a yearly detailed breakdown of the sectoral measures and accompanying savings for the duration of the Haddington Road Agreement applicable in her Department and/or non-commercial State sponsored bodies under the aegis of her Department. [35867/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe measures applying to my Department and State sponsored bodies under the aegis of my Department are set out in the relevant sectoral collective agreement under Haddington Road. The Department aims to achieve maximum benefits from the provisions agreed in the Haddington Road Agreement. In this regard, a subcommittee of the Management Board has been established with the aim of identifying areas for savings and efficiencies and realising the full potential of the provisions in the agreement.
Strategic areas under consideration by the subcommittee include the following: maximising the availability of additional hours through increased productivity, reducing recourse to overtime, reducing staff numbers in sections and business areas as appropriate, and redeployment. The committee will also consider the potential arising from banked hours, streamlining work-sharing arrangements and possible extension of the current flexitime core hours. The subcommittee will be examining the potential to make savings of this nature in consultation with management of respective business areas.
As stated by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the Haddington Road Agreement will facilitate a reduction of €1 billion in the public service pay and pensions bill by 2016. In relation to the Department, the savings arising under HRA have been incorporated in the Department’s revised estimate for 2013 and further details for 2014 and 2015 will be incorporated in the vote allocation in the context of the overall estimates process.
