Howlin Refuses to tackle Civil Service...attacks public service instead

Sponge Bob

Reading Brendan Howlins list of allowances to be cut one thing stands out. The Civil Service is untouched and the public service is being targetted.

The removal of Island allowances is by far the meanest aspect of this stunt, there are no civil servants on Islands and the cost of being a public servant on an Island is much greater than the cost of doing the exact same job in Wexford.

But taking allowances off civil servants in Dublin for duties that do not exist any more (eg for carrying papers around in an age of email) is not appropriate seemingly.

Riskymove

Sponge Bob wrote: »

The Civil Service is untouched and the public service is being targetted.

the only allowance abolished last month was a civil service one and it was quite a significant one


anways:
the civil service make up about 10% of the PS - I think there around 3 times as many employees in the health area as there are in the entire civil service

over 70% of pay bill is health and education staff
and so on

does it not stand to reason that allowances in the wider public service needs attention?

Sponge Bob

And in the wider civil service too don't forget. Howlin should sort out his own department first before he starts on Islanders.

In Howlins own department there are recipients of a Franking Allowance where some of his staff are paid €1500 a year to sent out letters. Start at home and lead by example Brendan.

Godge

Sponge Bob wrote: »

And in the wider civil service too don't forget. Howlin should sort out his own department first before he starts on Islanders.

In Howlins own department there are recipients of a Franking Allowance where some of his staff are paid €1500 a year to sent out letters. Start at home and lead by example Brendan.

Allowances are not as great a feature of pay in the civil service as elsewhere in the public service. They are a large feature in the health service, gardai and teaching profession.

The Island allowance is ridiculous, matched by the Gaeltacht allowance.

Chuck Stone

The entire PbS/CS needs to be rationalized by the sounds of it.

Nermal

Sponge Bob wrote: »

The removal of Island allowances is by far the meanest aspect of this stunt, there are no civil servants on Islands and the cost of being a public servant on an Island is much greater than the cost of doing the exact same job in Wexford.

Your choice if you want to live on an island or not, the government should not be subsidising it.

Brussels Sprout

Just when I thought that things couldn't get any more divisive around here up pops a thread to pit Public Sector workers against one another.

K-9

Nermal wrote: »

Your choice if you want to live on an island or not, the government should not be subsidising it.

Thereisn't too many who'd choose Tory! Unlike say the Gaeltacht allowance I can see the need for an allowance for the additional expenses involved in island living.

K-9

Nermal wrote: »

Your choice if you want to live on an island or not, the government should not be subsidising it.

There isn't too many who'd choose Tory! Unlike say the Gaeltacht allowance I can see the need for an allowance for the additional expenses involved in island living.

Godge

K-9 wrote: »

There isn't too many who'd choose Tory! Unlike say the Gaeltacht allowance I can see the need for an allowance for the additional expenses involved in island living.

The Greeks are considering selling their islands to get them out of their fix. At the very least we should stop subsidising ours.

K-9

Godge wrote: »

The Greeks are considering selling their islands to get them out of their fix. At the very least we should stop subsidising ours.

So because the Greeks are doing one thing, lets get rid of the subsidy for ours? Nothing wrong with that reasoning whatsoever.

Godge

K-9 wrote: »

So because the Greeks are doing one thing, lets get rid of the subsidy for ours? Nothing wrong with that reasoning whatsoever.

I sense sarcasm, the point is we are not as bad as Greece because we have taken some steps. They are reduced to selling their islands. In order to ensure we don't get into that kind of trouble, let's stop subsidising ours, a reasonable approach.

ArtSmart

Brussels Sprout wrote: »

Just when I thought that things couldn't get any more divisive around here up pops a thread to pit Public Sector workers against one another.

Yes it's classic.

anyone notice FitzPatrick's face when he left court a few days ago?

I swear to god, he almost seemed worried.


anyway, back to the maggots on the map of Ireland (kudos to the indo advert - classy)

Dannyboy83

Nermal wrote: »

Your choice if you want to live on an island or not, the government should not be subsidising it.

The way it was explained to me - it's an allowance for 2 people to be on call 24hours per day/ 365 days per year.

The allowance is technically the cheap way of doing it - as opposed to having to hire 2 extra people willing to relocate.


I was under the impression that the wages in the civil service are considerably lower than the public service, that most of the really low paid state sector jobs are civil service jobs - like clerical workers etc.

This table would certainly seem to indicate that average wages in the civil service are lower than the public service:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=63180709&postcount=1

K-9

Godge wrote: »

I sense sarcasm, the point is we are not as bad as Greece because we have taken some steps. They are reduced to selling their islands. In order to ensure we don't get into that kind of trouble, let's stop subsidising ours, a reasonable approach.

Greece has loads of islands, we don't.

Seriously, for an island like Tory it makes sense. For most islands it means a short trip to the mainland. Tory, no.

creedp

K-9 wrote: »

Greece has loads of islands, we don't.

Seriously, for an island like Tory it makes sense. For most islands it means a short trip to the mainland. Tory, no.

So in other words there is merit to some public sector allowances

Murt10

I wonder do the people on Achill Island qualify for an Island Allowance.

K-9

creedp wrote: »

So in other words there is merit to some public sector allowances

I'd have thought so, surely not every single one of them is a waste of money. London has a living allowance as far as I know and I can see the logic for it.

Sand

Godge wrote: »

The Greeks are considering selling their islands to get them out of their fix. At the very least we should stop subsidising ours.

I thanked your post. Then I stopped. And reconsidered. But yes. This is indeed the only post of yours I can recall aligning with basic common sense and the interests of the Irish nation. Well done. Stopped clocks and all that. Surprise me more often.

TLDR; Island allowances: seriously? We live on an island.

Godge

Sand wrote: »

I thanked your post. Then I stopped. And reconsidered. But yes. This is indeed the only post of yours I can recall aligning with basic common sense and the interests of the Irish nation. Well done. Stopped clocks and all that. Surprise me more often.

TLDR; Island allowances: seriously? We live on an island.

Well thank you for that:).

imme

The Civil Service is a part of the broader Public Service OP, you do know that don't you?