A chara, – Billy Gleeson (April 18th) suggests “comparing the costs of the public service with its European counterparts might be interesting”.
It is, but perhaps not in the way that he expected. According to the IMF, Irish public service pay was 11.2 per cent of GDP in 2011. This compares to an OECD average of 10.8 per cent, and 11.1 per cent for OECD countries which are members of the EU.
This shows that when compared to GDP, Ireland’s public service pay bill is in line with comparable EU countries and these figures are before the public sector levy (an average 7 per cent deduction) is taken into account.
Similar conclusions were reached by the OECD study, Government at a Glance (2011), which concluded the relative purchasing power of the vast majority of Irish public servants is about average, showing that the relative living standard of public servants in Ireland is on a par (or lower) with counterparts across the OECD countries. – Is mise,
KEVIN P McCARTHY,
Ardteegalvan,
Killarney, Co Kerry.
Sir, – Most of the Government’s problems in reducing public service pay, waste and over-staffing could be solved with three simple words: Privatise, privatise, privatise – Yours, etc,
C MURPHY,
Lower Kimmage Road,
Dublin 6W.
Sir, – The current supervision and substitution scheme for schools costs €300 million a year (Education, January 29th). If this scheme is to be scrapped by Croke Park II or, indeed Croke Park 2.1, thereby delivering the full amount of annual payroll savings required by the Government, why the need for further cuts? Or is there something I’m missing? – Yours, etc,
TONY O ROURKE,
Brannockstown,
Naas, Co Kildare.
Sir, – Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter stated he had been going to recruit more gardaí but is now unable to do so because the public service unions voted against Croke Park II.
If the troika is demanding a €300 million reduction in the public service pay bill this year, and if Croke Park II was supposed to deliver a €300 million reduction in the public service pay bill this year, how was Mr Shatter going to use this money to increase the public service pay bill by recruiting more gardaí?
People will have different opinions on who is right and who is wrong regarding Croke Park II, but I would imagine most people would think it wrong for a Government Minister to mislead the public for propaganda reasons. – Yours, etc,
KEVIN NAUGHTON,
Griffeen Glen Green,
Lucan,
Co Dublin.
A chara, – Now that public sector workers have reaffirmed their commitment to the Croke Park deal, it is time for the Government to do the same. The Croke Park deal is the mechanism to achieve a greater reduction in the cost of public services and to enable a more efficient delivery of them. Why the Government does not want to use it, but instead set about (with the active collusion of some trade union leaders) to try to break the agreement requires explanation. – Is mise,
MICHAEL O’ BUAIGH,
Fathain, Leifer,
Co Dún na nGall.