merrion street

Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Brendan Howlin today noted the progress in reducing the size of the public service pay bill in the first quarterly report to EU/IMF/ECB.

Speaking today the Minister said...

I note that in our first quarterly return to the external partners that we are making steady progress on reducing numbers employed in the public service. The number of posts has been reduced by 2000 in the three months to end March 2011.  We are on track to achieve the end 2011 target of 302,000 public service posts

The latest figures show that the Exchequer pay bill outturn for the first three months of the year is in line with the 2011 pay bill targets. The total Exchequer pay bill for 2011 is estimated at €15.7 billion. Public service numbers have fallen by 16,400 since 2008. Details are set out in the PDF file below.

Minister Howlin added...

These figures reflect the Government’s determination to take control of the public finances and to reduce the size of the Public Service. However, as important as the absolute reduction is, it is also critical that the way in which Government does its business and delivers services to citizens is reformed, and this continues to be a key concern of Government.

The Comprehensive Review of Expenditure now underway will include a full review of how services are delivered providing the scope to achieve further reductions in public service numbers in the coming years, and this is reflected in the significant numbers reductions targets set out in the Programme for Government. These are challenging targets and I believe the Croke Park Agreement provides the framework to achieve these ambitious reductions as long as there are meaningful reforms and concrete savings.