Warning of job cuts at authority
The disclosure came at the monthly meeting of Clare County Council.
County mayor Christy Curtin (Ind) had referred to the council reducing its workforce by 150 in the past two years.
But, addressing councillors, manager Tom Coughlan said: “I don’t see any scope for an increase and, if anything, there will be a decrease.”
Mr Coughlan cited reports which pointed to between 18,000 and 30,000 job cuts across the public sector in the near future.
He said: “The job cuts are not all going to come from gardaí and teachers. They are going to be across the board. We are looking at severe reductions in local authorities and in the public sector in general.”
Mr Coughlan said that “it will be very difficult to maintain current levels of service with that level of cutback”.
The Croke Park Agreement, he noted, did not provide for wage cuts and the savings will have to come from elsewhere.
Cllr Martin Conway (FG) said yesterday: “Tom Coughlan has been honest and forthright in relation to the situation faced by the council.
“If funding is continually cut, the cracks have to start appearing somewhere. The job losses would result in a threat to services.”
Asked on the impact that the current staffing levels will have on the council’s Roadworks Programme this year, acting director for transportation, Nora Kaye said: “In general terms, staff numbers have been reducing due to retirements and, under the present embargo, retiring staff cannot be replaced.
“Throughout 2011, works will be implemented by direct labour or by contract as appropriate. Council staff will implement the bulk of the Roadworks Programme and overall the objective will be to implement the programme as effectively and efficiently as possible.”
