Published: Wednesday, 16th September, 2009 9:00pm

Minister steps back from wielding axe on Athlone payroll jobs

Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe has shied away from accepting a proposal in the McCarthy report to close the payroll section at the department's centre in Athlone with the loss of 132 jobs.

The proposal was revealed by the Westmeath Independent almost two months ago in the immediate aftermath of the McCarthy report's publication.

Speaking to the Westmeath Independent this week, Minister O'Keeffe said he wanted "value for money" from the teacher payroll service and a detailed study would be carried out before any McCarthy report recommendations are implemented.

The Department of Education payroll section is based in Athlone and the McCarthy report recommended that the payroll section should be outsourced to save over €2 million a year with the loss of 132 jobs.

"You have to look at the payroll in Athlone, how effective is it, how efficient is it?

Does it represent value for money? And I don't think you can just say give it out to the private sector and you'll get better value for money.

If I was to do that, I would have to be absolutely satisfied that it was the proper way to go. Because who's to say that down the road in five years, that perhaps the private sector would be far more costly?"

He said that he wants to ensure efficiency with the section and that the payroll should be more centralised.

"For instance, the 33 VECs - each of them having a pay path - is that necessary? Should we have a centralised system that can be payment for schools across the territory.

The Department of Education does the second level schools' teacher payments and all other payments and it begs the question could we not extend that into the VEC system," he added.