Biggest shocks in Snip report aren't the cuts to come

The report of An Bord Snip Nua contained all the shocks we knew we should expect - and some more besides. We all knew that there were to be massive spending cuts; a massive reduction in services expenditure; and job cuts.But what the report also revealed was a huge extent of wastage and duplication in Government spending - and of expensive privileges for some staff in the public sector, most especially, teaching staff and Gardaí. With Government borrowing running at €60m per day, it's clear that these are no longer sustainable, and at a time when jobs are being shed on a daily basis in the private sector, it is galling for the remaining workers to know that so much of their taxes are going on privilege payments to public sector staff, while there are to be cuts to those in receipt of social welfare.For example, the report revealed agreements now in place mean that second level teachers get paid if they have to supervise a class or to perform substitute duties during what would previously have been a "free" period for them. Teachers also get paid to provide supervision cover for break times.It also revealed that teachers' sick leave arangements "are more generous than the norm in the public sector, with an entitlement to 31 days uncertified sick leave each year at primary level, and no requirement for a medical certificate unless the absence exceeds 3 consecutive days. At post-primary level, the allowance is 30 days uncertified, with acertificate only being required for absences of more than 4 consecutive days."The report found that the OECD average 'total statutory working time' of teachers is more than double the average 'teaching time' of teachers in Irish primary or second-level schools.In addition, 52% of all teachers are in receipt of what are termed 'management allowances'.At third level, lecturers are supposed to work 16 hours, and assistant lecturers 18 hours during an academic year which runs from September 1 to June 20. However, it's now often the case that because of student work placements, a lecturer may actually have no work from March to September. "There is no contractual requirement to be on campus other than for delivering lectures and there is no system of accountability for the performance of non-lecturing duties", the report found.The report noted that there was a "large number of allowances" paid to members of the Gardaí and that the majority of these allowances were pay-related and pensionable.An Bord Snip also found that in addition to the basic public service pension system, there are in place a range of costly accelerated "added years" arrangements across various areas of the public service: "For example, Gardaí are free to retire on full pension at the age of 50 (an effective 10 years' added service on the assumption of an entry age of 20); some engineers, who might enter the public service at the age of 35, would accrue full pension entitlements at age 65 (again an effective 10 added years); teachers with 35 years' service are eligible to retire from age 55 on; some hospital consultants may be entitled to up to 10 added years of service; and a High Court judge, who might typically be appointed to the bench at 50 years of age, is entitled to full pension at age 65 (an effective 25 added years)."The impact of the An Bord Snip report will be felt acutely by all - if the Government chooses to implement the recommendations. But it's clear that we couldn't go on as we have been, and if the wastage and duplication of services isn't tackled now, Ireland's financial crisis will only continue to deepen.