Public services still not ready for exodus

Transition teams to oversee a smooth delivery of services when thousands of public sector workers retire at the end of this month have not yet been formally established, the Taoiseach has admitted.

This is despite his claim in an RTÉ interview last Sunday that the high-level teams are “in place” to avoid chaos when hospital staff, teachers and gardaí retire over the coming weeks.

Asked about the status of the transition teams just three weeks before the exodus of staff is due to be complete, Enda Kenny told the Dáil that they would be “approved by Cabinet next Tuesday”.