Departments offer saving solutions on state website

A NUMBER of Government departments have published their “action plans” for generating millions of savings through the Croke Park deal.

In the main, the action plans published on the department’s websites use broad brushstrokes language to identify where savings will be made. Few give concrete details on the amounts of money each of their proposals would actually generate, but they do set timeframes for implementation.

All speak about the redeployment of staff where applicable and the appropriateness of shared services.

The most substantial plan, published on the website of the Department of the Taoiseach, outlines what savings are envisaged for the civil service and non-commercial state agencies.

Throughout the lifetime of the agreement up to the end of 2014, that action plan says there will be a programme of rationalisation of state agencies “as has been determined, or that may be determined, by Government”.

It says from the end of this year departments will reduce office requirements “in line with opportunities provided by the rationalisation of services and reduction in public service numbers”.

“Such rationalisations include those that will be pursued by the Revenue Commissioners, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Teagasc,” it says.

All departments will be expected to review performance and “set qualitative performance targets” throughout the lifetime of the agreement.

From 2011, office opening hours will be extended or varied to provide better customer service.

By the end of the year, there will be a standardisation of deductions of pay for all days of absence at a fifth of weekly pay. Each department and office will also be expected to manage sick leave more effectively, with a target for a 10% reduction in days lost by end 2011, with further reductions thereafter.

The Department of the Taoiseach is one of the few which specifies savings targets. It says that in the period 2011-2014 it will aim for a 14.4% reduction in the budget, including 11.4% in 2011. It is also seeking a 4.2% cut in the pay budget, including 1.2% in 2011, and 2% in the total numbers employed.

The education sector plan gives little detail beyond what is in the original Croke Park agreement on the extra hour a week of non-teaching work to be required of teachers. However, the Irish Examiner previously reported the Department of Education is seeking staff and parent-teacher meetings to be held completely outside school times to minimise disruption to classes, under the proposed review of teacher contracts.

Shared administration services across the institutes of technology are planned from next month, while academic staff will be expected to have more contact with students. Although the department can not negotiate on industrial relations matters in the universities, all seven have individual action plans which include requirement of academic staff to be available for an extra hour a week of teaching.