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.

“Somewhere along the line something will give unless (we look at) the way services are organised and delivered,” he told the annual delegate conference of the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants.

“Where there are restrictions to efficiencies, these need to be eliminated. There is an urgent need to move the shared services concept along. The transforming of how services are provided, more shared services and online services are going to become more critical than ever.”

He said that such a transformation would result in a “win-win” situation.

“You are giving citizens more choice. You are transferring the work to the public but you are giving them a better service at the same time. Look at Revenue online. They are now dealing with 2m tax returns a year with the same staff that was previously dealing with 700,000. It’s a model that could be replicated in many parts of the public service.”

Mr Fitzpatrick pointed to a number of areas where the Croke Park deal was yielding gains. He said there are now 16,000 fewer staff across the public service and that of the 7% reduction in the civil service to date, 14% has been in the senior management grades.

Mr Fitzpatrick said 20 state agencies are gone or in the process of going. He pointed out that the extended working week was in place for teachers.

Nonetheless he said there needed to be more urgency and immediacy on the real transformation through not just reducing numbers but also changing and reforming public services.

In that regard he said savings and reforms would have to be verifiable and transparent.

He said reports are currently being compiled for the implementation body on the savings through Croke Park made to date and he added the body will be arranging independent verification of savings that are being claimed.