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Dublin: 10 °C Wednesday 22 May, 2013

Government to sign off on spending review as quangos and State assets targeted

The news comes as communications minister Pat Rabbitte warned that public sector pay may be cut again.

Brendan Howlin
Brendan Howlin
Image: Niall Carson/PA Wire/Press Association Images

A MAJOR REVIEW of government spending is expected to be signed off on by the Cabinet today which could lead to a significant reduction in the number of quangos as well as a sell off of State assets.

The Irish Times reports that a special meeting of the cabinet later today will consider proposals to sell off a number of State assets as part of the comprehensive spending review being driven by minister for public expenditure Brendan Howlin.

The review would include a “root and branch” examination of government departments and agencies including quangos (Quasi Autonomous Non Governmental Organisations).

The review is also expected to examine possible reforms to local authority systems and it is understood that each government department will be asked to review how it spends its budget and how services are delivered.

The review will then feed into the budgetary process for next year.

In addition, minister for communications Pat Rabbitte has said that public service workers pay could be cut again unless there are significant savings under the Croke Park Agreement.

Speaking on RTÉ’s ‘The Week in Politics’ he said that progress must be made on voluntary redundancies and that fewer workers would have to pick up the slack.

Otherwise pay would have to be reduced again, he added.

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Comments (6 Comments)

  • All well and good, but we need to know what non strategic State Assets are being discussed. I have read the IT article but for some reason cannot get the RTE report to play.

    Where is the openness and honesty, we the electorate need to know…

    Reply
  • Congratulations to all Public Servants who voted for Labour/Fine Gael! Suckers!!!!!

    Reply
  • Note to Pat Rabitte and co; you get voted in, that’s your only qualification to be a politician! As for public service workers like me. I invest in fees of £12000 in a PhD, £5000 in a MSc and €8000 in a BSW. All financed by myself and then to be told if I don’t turn up for work @ 9 AM I am unproductive? Tell that the union security guard who won’t open the feckin doors of the office/car park @ 8:30 AM when I would like to get into the office earlier! Oh shite sorry he voted labour! Rabitte & Co are talking through their arses! Loads of people want to be productive, it’s the Unions making us unproductive! Just moved back from London and already thinking of emigrating cause senior managers, Unions and Politicians seem to think workers like me are unproductive!

    Reply
    • Aodhan, just curious… How did you get hired into a public service post when you’ve only recently moved back from the UK? I was under the impression that there was an embargo on recruitment. Or are you a doctor?

      I do however commend you for your proactive attitude to career and self development, unless you are a medical doctor you are a rare specimen in the Irish public service.

      Reply
  • Dole office is going to be thronged with PDs and failed FF Cllrs the next few months.

    Reply
  • Our new government should be preparing for a referendum on this attempt to destroy us as a nation by the EUSSR and not planning to sell off the family silver. When the euro collapses we will have signed away our childrens future and destroyed our civil services in the process.Our infrastructure is bad enough as is and its time to follow Iceland and call a halt to the rip-off.

    Reply

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