THE GOVERNMENT has received more than 1,000 submissions from the public on new ways for the State to save money.
This follows the launch of a public consultation last summer by Minister for Public Enterprise Brendan Howlin over the Government’s comprehensive review of expenditure.
The ideas range from general issues to very detailed proposals based on the experiences of public sector workers such as gardaí, nurses and teachers.
The majority of submissions relate to ways of creating more efficiencies or cutting spending in areas like social welfare and health.
On social protection, many submissions express dissatisfaction with how payments to jobseekers are made and propose ways to involve the estimated 450,000 unemployed people in community work.
Many also suggest tougher requirements for signing on and propose anti-fraud measures such as the introduction of fingerprint scanning or a requirement to produce a passport.
One contributor proposes that unemployment benefits should be conditional on being available for community work each week.
“The hours can be flexible to allow people attend interviews, but people should receive a scaled down unemployment benefit for those weeks they fail to work the full 20 hours, down to no benefits if they do not show up at all.”
The names of all contributors – released under the Freedom of Information Act – have been blacked out by officials in order to protect their anonymity.
Other proposed welfare reforms include limiting the duration of the 20 hours that lone parents are allowed to work without it affecting their benefits.
“I have heard so many people in business that say they are pestered by people looking for 20 hours’ work. They should be seeking full-time work. In fact, taking up 20- hour slots stops genuine job-seekers from getting employment,” one person said.
Health spending was the source of many submissions, with members of the public suggesting ways of cutting numbers of managers and securing greater efficiency in the dispensing of medicine.
A number of submissions urged the Government not to remove a 50 cent levy on prescriptions for medical card holders, with pharmacists and medics saying it helped eliminate the supply of unnecessary medicines.
One said: “My wife works in a pharmacy. She has seen a dramatic drop in the number of medicines handed out on the prescriptions of medical card holders since the 50 cent levy was brought in.”
A spokeswoman for Mr Howlin said all suggestions were examined from the point of view of “practicality, feasibility, savings achievable, compliance with EU and Irish law and standards”.
Mr Howlin said recently the public consultation had been “an innovative and important initiative”.
HOW TO CUT SPENDING: THE PUBLIC'S VIEW
GARDA
“Scrap additional pay (or allowances) like the Gaeltacht allowance (€3,361 pa), rent allowance (€4,024 pa), boot allowance (€2.93 (week), uniform maintenance (€4.39 week)”
WELFARE
“The knowledge is there to replace all welfare payments with electronic cards so it can’t be spent on bookies, the pub; children may then get enough to eat and books to go to school.”
DISABILITY
“I am shocked by the wastage I see when equipment allocated to individuals is no longer required, and not being re-used. We have a bath chair with an electric lift which was found not to be suitable and is gathering dust because the HSE will not take it . . . I know of families in similar situations.”
HEALTH
“ I am receiving treatment for a back injury and need to use crutches to walk around . . . They turned out to be too small and when I offered to swap them, I was informed they were unable to use the old pair. They cost in the region of €30 to €50. I find this to be a terrible waste of money.”
PUBLIC SECTOR
“Hospital X in west Cork has 150 patients – yet has one director or nursing, two assistant directors, three night supervisors, nine clinical nurse managers. This makes 15 in management. Surely this is not necessary.”
Source: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
