Reducing number of agencies and getting best value for the taxpayer – Kyne

Fine Gael TD for Galway West, Sean Kyne, has said that the Workplace Relations Bill (2014) which reduces the number of workplace relations agencies, will mean better service and value for money for the taxpayer.

“The Workplace Relations Bill replaces five agencies with two; the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court. This is a really welcome move, as it will mean more efficient service provision as well as increased value for money for the tax payer.

“A further welcome reform as part of this Bill is the replacement of the different senior positions in the existing organisations with a single point of leadership – the Director General of the Workplace Relations Commission.

“Fine Gael’s Five Point Plan before the election detailed our aim to reform the public service. This is just one example of how such reform can save the tax payer money and provide a better system for service users.

“There is more work to be done in this area however. A recent Parliamentary Question I submitted in the Dáil revealed that there are 40 agencies under the auspices of the Department of Justice and 22 under the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. The Departments of Health and Agriculture have 18 and 17 agencies respectively. We must look at where duplication occurs and explore the options to amalgamate such agencies to get the best result for the tax payer.”