State employee numbers fall 2,000 in first quarter

THE number of state employees dropped by the expected 2,000 in the first three months of this year, but the man charged with overseeing the reform of the public service has warned challenges remain in reaching the targeted 41,000 reduction by 2015.

The Government yesterday confirmed that the number of public servants had fallen from 305,402 at the start of the year to 303,457 at end of March, prompting Public Service Reform Minister Brendan Howlin to claim the Government was on target to achieve its target of 302,000 by year-end.

However PJ Fitzpatrick, the chairman of the body overseeing the implementation of the Croke Park agreement on public service reform, warned the continued reduction in staff numbers would be an ongoing challenge, especially as between 37,000 and 41,000 staff will have to be gone by 2015.