Croke Park deal 'delivering change on daily basis'

SEANAD REPORT:THE CROKE Park agreement was delivering change on a daily basis across the civil and public service, Minister of State for Labour Affairs Dara Calleary said.

The biggest achievement of the agreement was that priority services were being maintained and even improved, despite a substantial ongoing fall in numbers. It was also noteworthy that there had been no industrial action that would damage our reputation or impact on the most vulnerable citizens, despite two pay cuts.

Mr Calleary said his message to the few unions or associations – or would-be groupings – that had remained outside the process, was that attempts to thwart progress in transformation of the public service would be fiercely resisted.

Citing examples of progress made so far, he said that rostering changes in some Garda units foreshadowed the much larger job of rostering across the country to meet policing demands with reduced numbers. New prison blocks had been opened with a more efficient staffing model. The chief executive of the HSE had recently outlined some key performance outcomes this year.

The Minister for Finance must stop the bonus culture in his own department and ensure that any money already paid out would be recouped, said Shane Ross (Ind).

He said if this could be done in regard to AIB, it could also be done in this instance. The worst performing department in the State, it had landed us in the absolute mess we were in. How could the Government defend the non-payment of the Christmas bonus to welfare recipients when those in the department were lining their pockets with taxpayers’ money?

“What more evidence do you need that there is a silent compact, a bonus culture which is shared between people at the top of the banks and the public service?”