Embrace reform, Cowen tells public service staff
Taoiseach Brian Cowen today urged public service workers to embrace reform rather than seeing it as a threat.
Just days after tens of thousands of disgruntled taxpayers protested over planned cuts in December’s Budget, Mr Cowen warned agreement must be reached to make changes that will meet the economic environment.
The Taoiseach said while the Government needed to secure an immediate saving of €1.3bn in the public sector pay bill, reform would continue over the next couple of years.
“We have to take up this opportunity that this crisis poses upon us to set about a structure of reform in the whole public service,” he said.
“We have to get these savings, that’s imperative in the immediate term.
“We also have to recognise that the present service as it is provided is not sustainable in the long term.”
Around 100,000 people took to the streets across the country on Friday to vent their anger at proposed cuts in pay and services.
As mass protests were held in eight towns and cities, trade union chiefs warned the Government that workers would continue to fight against further cutbacks.
But Mr Cowen told RTE radio’s 'This Week' programme that Government was in discussions with unions as to how to make these savings.
He admitted changes in services could not come overnight, but that over the next two to three years agreement must be reached where everybody was on board for the reforms.
“We need to recognise that public service reform is not an attack on public services,” continued Mr Cowen.
“It’s about making sure that we have a provision of public service in the future that is affordable, efficient, effective and that is joined up and that we get rid of all these administrative boundaries that are simply providing cost and compensation factors right across the system.”
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