BY HARRY WALSH
THE jobs of hundreds of public servants across Donegal are under threat if recommendations from An Bord Snip Nua are carried through.
The long awaited report, which was published yesterday afternoon, has called for a dramatic shake-up of the civil service, state agencies and welfare payments in one of the biggest cutback plans in the history of the State.
The group recommends that town councils be abolished and a number of County Councils be merged although this is not expected to impact on Donegal County Council.
An Bord Snip Nua, established by the Government in November, has identified potential reductions in public expenditure. These include merging small rural schools with falling numbers, something which would impact greatly in a rural county like Donegal.
Another major recommendation which could have serious repercussions for Donegal is that the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs should be merged with the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism. Funding from this department has been channelled to numerous small groups across Donegal's vast Gaeltacht.
The closure of a number of rural Garda stations across Donegal is also feared.
Over recent months, speculation has been rife that there are recommendations to reduce the total number of District Veterinary Offices (DVO) across the country to 12.
There is one DVO office in Donegal, based in Raphoe, which is overseen by Senior Veterinary Officer, Mr Dermot Butler.
Around 30 staff work in different areas under the control of the DVO in Donegal.
The Government is bracing itself for an angry backlash as the report of An Bord Snip Nua, set to call for a dramatic shake-up of the civil service, state agencies and welfare payments.
Cuts in social welfare should be severe, but targeted, the report says, proposing a series of reductions in a variety of benefits, including the State pension and unemployment benefits. The criteria for qualification for social welfare payments should also be tightened up An Bord Snip Nua recommends.
Double payments are at the top of the list such as the half-rate carers allowance or the ability for welfare recipients to also work for a certain number of hours per week. Child benefit is also expected to be means tested.
Up to a dozen major cutbacks are recommended for each Government department by the group, which was barred from investigating the State's capital spending and public pay bill.
However, it does propose that allowances, which form a significant part of each State worker's take-home pay, should be cut. Gardaí, for instance, would lose ¤50 million worth of allowances. Similar cuts would affect nurses, prison officers and other public sector workers.
The expert group has exceeded the Government's target recommendation of ¤3.5 billion worth of cuts, instead proposing a ¤5.2 billion package involving 17,000 State job losses, including a ¤300 million reduction in the Health Service Executive's payroll.
Up to 1,000 more teachers were expected to be among the casualties, with the ratio of teachers to pupils likely to be raised again.
The State's largest public service union, Impact, has threatened "painful" strike action over expected pay cuts and lay-offs.
The trade union's general secretary Peter McLoone said the economic crisis was caused by bankers, financiers and property speculators and it was they who should pick up the bill.
"If the Government attempts to impose compulsory redundancies, or cuts in pay and pensions, there will be a reaction which will include sustained, widespread and painful industrial action including strikes," he said.
"I don't believe there will be many, if any, winners if the Government takes this route, least of all among the people who - more than ever - depend on our public services."
"We are going to make a stand if the Government adopts these policies."
An Bord Snip Nua, the specialist team headed by UCD economist Colm McCarthy, is to pinpoint up to ¤5 billion in savings for the public purse.
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