Cowen signals no reduction in Ministers

TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen has signalled that there will be no reduction in the number of Ministers of State. He wanted instead to reduce the cost of running their offices by 10 per cent, he said in the Dáil.

But Labour leader Eamon Gilmore asked if such an approach would apply to agencies such as the HSE on the grounds that “if the costs are reduced the numbers are safe”.

The Taoiseach insisted, however, that it was an issue of how to make Government as efficient and effective as possible, and “a matter for the Taoiseach of the day”.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the Taoiseach had been credited “rightly or wrongly as being the chief negotiator in regard to the increase in the number of Ministers of State”, and there were now 20 at a cost of €3 million.

He pointed out that the Green Party as the junior Coalition partner said this number should be reduced and he asked if the Cabinet had discussed the issue.

Mr Gilmore said a number of Ministers of State volunteered to step aside and this was probably the only area of the public sector that volunteered this.

Mr Cowen said that “you could have fewer numbers and the Government might cost more”. He insisted that the issue “is the cost, effectiveness and efficacy of government”, and he had chosen this way as the means of reducing costs.

“It is open to the taoiseach of the day to decide at any time how to organise his government.”

Mr Gilmore asked, however, if the same principle would apply generally, that “if the cost of government is reduced the numbers are safe. Will that apply in the HSE? Is that the direction the Taoiseach has given An Bord Snip?” Had An Bord Snip been told that “if it can achieve reductions in the cost of government there is no need to achieve reductions in numbers”.

Mr Cowen said that “we are running a country of with a GDP in excess of €200 billion and capital expenditure allocation above €60 billion and we must ensure that there is proper political accountability for all such expenditure. The issue is what is government costing the taxpayer and how to make it a efficient and effective as possible.” There were sharp exchanges between Mr Cowen and Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin who said appointments should be based on specific needs and priorities “rather than as a means of appeasing the very large parliamentary bloc of the Fianna Fáil party”.

Mr Cowen said that “if were to take the logic of you remarks to a conclusion we’d have a technocracy” not a Government.