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NEARLY A BILLION euro has been cut from the outgoings of local authorities in the last five years, but savings from efficiencies are €115 million behind target.
Those are the findings of the latest report from the Local Government Efficiency Review (LGER) Group, an independently chaired group.
The report shows that in the years spanning 2008-2012, the County and City Managers Association (CCMA) reported savings of €839 million. That includes €229.6 million in efficiency savings.
These efficiencies include €98.1 million in staffing reductions and €108.8 million saved in procurement. Cuts in fees to advertising agencies, consultancies and treasury management firms saved €14.7 million, while consolidation of hazardous waste materials saved €5 million.
The adoption of a shared HR and payroll system saved a total of €3 million.
Gross expenditure and staffing savings, however, account for €561 million of the overall savings and the report shows that staffing figures at council’s across the country have been cut by 24% since 2008.
That equates to 8,899 jobs that have been cut since 2008.
Environment Minister Phil Hogan broadly welcomed the report, but said that savings in efficiencies must be made quicker.
“The local government sector continues to make significant progress on implementing the efficiency changes recommended in the original LGER Report,” he said.
[However], it is imperative that the rate of implementation of the efficiency agenda is accelerated by the sector to ensure the overall targeted efficiency savings are achieved in a timely manner.
Hogan also paid tribute to council workers, who he said were ‘continuing to maintain an impressive level of public service delivery’, despite staffing reductions.
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Equates to 8899 staff cuts, and exactly how many councillors were got rid of again?? We have way to many.
Which is why their numbers are being reduced by over 50%.
where have the 8899 people gone who lost their jobs,?
Natural wastage and temp contracts not renewed
Maintaining an impressive level of service? Not in my town.
Was thinking the same thing.
Illegally dumped rubbish left for months and potholes that double up as Olympic sized swimming pools are all part of Phil Hogans €800million in “efficiencies” I suppose
and how many councillors and mayors wages and perks have taken a cut or better yet how many councillors got the door?………….cos it seems to me like any government run turkey farm its the poor crowd at the lower end heading for the cut so hogan with ur nose so long from all the lies and bullying you have done, you can excuse while I try to believe anything you or your people say!
Local authorities my arse, i have lived in my home for 10 years, pay management fees because fingal county council refuse to take over fully finished estate. Ive just sold house and now fingal county council make me get a utility bill for each of the last 4 years to prove it was my principal private residence otherwise they feel i should pay them a bag load of money for f’-k all. This country is a joke
The sheer irony of it , 8,900 jobs “cut” since 2008!!!!!!
What’s happened to these 9000 people since then?
Very easy to save over €800m when they were overspending significantly including buying overpriced properties for free/affordable housing making sure the developers they assisted got back a return on their investment/brown envelopes..
They sure have made those savings. But motorists cyclists and pedestrians pay the cost of such savings every day.
Cant stand this eejit hogan wish someone would take him out
With the LPD they will be pulling in the moolah, maybe they can hire more top end councillors and provide less service.
Meanwhile Dublin Inner City disintegrates into an open rubbish dump with zero interest from the council into how to deal with it.
Moan, moan, moan. When the proposals were put out about reducing the number of councillors by more than half people were on threads here screaming about the destruction of democracy. Now people are moaning about having too many councillors. I suppose consistency is really too much to ask for.
Jim, Your post just demonstrates that some posters wee in favour of kee
Jim, Your post just demonstrates that some posters were in favour of keeping the number of councillors and some were in favour of cuts, nothing inconsistent at all!
Ignore my last comment, a smartphone mishap!
The first comment makes for interesting reading though! :-)
Ha! It does.
They saved so much money because they did sweet F A…. The whole system is a shambles….
Hogan is a fat wart.
I say …. Can I speak to the arsehole…. Aka… Phil…
That’s €800m well UNspent
have your say