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Fianna Fáil's Seán Fleming reacts to yesterday's public sector announcements Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland

Public service reform plans are 'weak' and 'wrong' says opposition

The government has been criticised for proposing to cut 23,500 jobs in the public sector over the next four years.

OPPOSITION PARTIES HAVE reacted with a mix of disbelief and concern at the government’s proposals to reform the public sector which were announced yesterday.

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin yesterday revealed plans to cut 23,500 public sector jobs by 2015, to merge or abolish 48 state agencies and to bring an end to any further decentralisation projects in an effort to cut cots across the public service.

Fianna Fáil said it was the “weakest document ever produced on this issue by a Government” and slammed the job cutting exercise as counter productive to solving the problem of unemployment in Ireland.

Reacting to the proposal , the party spokesperson on public expenditure and reform Seán Fleming said:

The biggest failure in this document is the complete lack of a plan to protect frontline services. No provision has been included to ensure adequate staff numbers, such as nurses, are retained in key areas which should be prioritised under this plan.

The document details 48 agencies that have already been rationalised and a further 46 are to be reviewed in 2012. In fact the Government has gone out of its way to confirm that it will be setting up new quangos and the only concession to reform will be the inclusion of “sunset clauses” for these new quangos.

On the issue of decentralisation the Government has merely rehashed the list of 32 projects where permanent accommodation is completed or is due to be completed shortly, they also list the 22 projects that are underway and these will be reviewed. The 40 projects where no work had commenced since 2003 are not being proceeded with.

Speaking for Sinn Féin, the party’s jobs and enterprise spokesperson Peadar Tóibín said his party was concerned that the government was starting at the wrong point in deciding how many jobs to cut back on.

He said the proposal targeted low paid workers and he raised specific concerns in relation to the merger of a number of industrial relations bodies.

Tóibín said:

This blunt instrument will target low paid workers, or frontline workers such as nurses, gardaí and teachers and not realise savings to the excessive pays of senior civil servants.

In addition we are concerned that the merger of the Labour Court, Labour Relations Commission, National Employment Rights Authority, Employment Appeals Tribunal and Equality Tribunal could diminish the rights of workers or impede the just settlement of cases.

We support public sector reform to lead to the delivery of efficient and effective services to all our people. However what we have are proposals without any cohesive or comprehensive policy framework, which fails to differentiate between, low paid works, essential front line staff and excessively paid senior managers

Read: Decentralisation scrapped and over 23,000 public sector jobs to go by 2015

As it happened: Government announcement on public sector and quangos

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22 Comments
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    Mute Tony Skillington
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    Aug 11th 2014, 7:47 AM

    This is getting really worrying..

    42
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    Mute Orange Order Loyal
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    Aug 11th 2014, 8:17 AM

    If you look how it’s transmitted I wouldn’t loose too much sleep over it.
    You have more chance of being killed driving to work.

    30
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    Mute Stephen
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    Aug 11th 2014, 8:35 AM

    That’s a nice thought as I drive to work later.

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    Mute Orange Order Loyal
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    Aug 11th 2014, 9:24 AM

    You make it in Alrite Hun xox

    23
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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Aug 11th 2014, 12:31 PM

    Why? It hhasnt left Africa and its only spreading there for unique local reasons.
    Its not airborne and odds of it mutating to that are lower than your statistical odds of drowning in your bathtub.
    Only one Ebola case has ever been seen in Europe and it was nowhere near Ireland. We handle the sick and dead differently.

    We’ll b fine, even if it got here we have an excellent national pandemic plan and a great national isolation unit which is ready prepared as we speak just in case. HSPC is monitoring the epidemiology of the outbreak we would likely have plenty of warning before it got here. You have to come into direct contact with infected persons bodily fluids to get it, even if they sneezed directly into your mouth you might not get it.
    Even in the nightmare scenario of an airborne strain spreading here, for several reasons were best equipped in Europe to deal with it.

    There is no reason to fear.

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    Mute Stephen
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    Aug 11th 2014, 7:57 AM

    It would be just terrible if it wiped out the whole human race, well kinda.

    25
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    Mute Hill 16
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    Aug 11th 2014, 7:57 AM

    I’d say we aren’t being told half the story, only what the media wants the public to know.

    21
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    Mute Vocal Outrage
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    Aug 11th 2014, 8:25 AM

    So, what do you think they are not reporting about, and why?

    23
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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Aug 11th 2014, 12:44 PM

    No doubt that it was made by the pentagon in conjunction with the bilderbergers and illuminati to help the one world government ..

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    Mute Gary Brandon
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    Aug 11th 2014, 7:42 PM

    http://m.naturalnews.com/news/046414_Ebola_vaccine_safety_testing_drug_company_profits.html

    There’s one thing they don’t seem to reporting and also the issue of the cdc having a patent on the Ebola virus? There is plenty going on that isn’t being reporting and judging by how Ryan here is very strongly opposed to anyone taking small amount of prepardness for themselves and to trust our government if and when it does hit Ireland. There is no evidence supporting the fact that it can’t be transferred other than bodily fluids as the virus mutates so fast. And Ryan with all these alleged claims you say that there is a contingency plan why haven’t the government issued a statement to at least put the public at ease? I mean if it’s as harmless as you say and people are worrying shouldnt the government who you are encouraging us to trust so much at least be putting those worries at ease? Also why did the head of the CDC admit that a pandemic in the USA is inevitable only a few days ago?

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    Mute Sean Hyland
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    Aug 11th 2014, 8:55 AM

    We have more sub Saharan immigrants per head of population than any other country in Europe. If a case turns up here we will need a contingency set up immediately.

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    Mute Gill B
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    Aug 11th 2014, 10:42 AM

    Yeah Sean that’s because we have population of 4.9million. Manchester has population of 5million & London 20million. In fact Ireland allows less refugee/asylum in than any other EU country !!
    I bet you felt good when you were younger filling the Trocaire Box, but God forbid they come to ‘your’ country for help #getalife !!!

    11
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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Aug 11th 2014, 12:34 PM

    We have s contingency plan for this.
    Medical staff have been told what to look for.
    The national isolation unit has beds prepared.
    A protocol for moving the infected there safely from elsewhere is ready.

    I know its hard to believe, but take it from someone who generally considers the Irish state incompetent: were prepared.
    The odds of it getting here are v v low though. Your odds of dying in an MVA are way way higher.

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    Mute Murph11
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    Aug 11th 2014, 7:50 AM

    What is most worrying is that every country which is unaffected is repatriating victims. Guaranteed if this poor person has picked up the virus, they’ll be on the next plane back to Germany

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    Mute Boganity
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    Aug 11th 2014, 8:03 AM

    Are you suggesting we pull up the ladder ?

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Aug 11th 2014, 12:43 PM

    Do you know why?
    1. Its not fatal in every case
    2. As a pandemic es it goes through a crest then a trough as it burns out, as it burns out the case fatality rate goes down. More and more survive.
    3. Some might have been infected by only 1-2 particles of the virus. Put simply your odds of dying are inversely proportional to how much of the virus you take it. So someone might intake an amount their immune system w/help of meds can fight off.

    4. Given the above, you want the person to get the best care and best odds of survival. If they don’t get this well let me tell you how some of them will die.
    The virus will destroy their immune system then attack the organs until they are turned to semi liquid pulp, so say your stomach lining will disintegrate and you’ll die of internal hemmorage in uni,aginable pain.
    Anything we can do to improve somones odds of surviving that we should, particular brave best of humanity medical staff who went there to help people.
    Could you watch your son or daughter die there saying well they knew they were going into danger? They ought to b commended for so selflessly putting g their lives on the line to help vulnerable patients.
    Its not easily transmitted and they will b in isolation.

    Ignore the tabloid hysteria they’re just trying to sell papers, focus of science, facts, logic and reason it will leave you better informed.

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    Mute ian110664
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    Aug 11th 2014, 9:42 AM

    Heard someone who visits there that he dreads malaria more than ebola.

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