Public Sector

The public sector is that part of the economy that provides government services, it includes local and central government.

The public sector provides the following services:

• Civil Service
• Defence
• An Garda Síochána
• Education sector (principally teaching professionals at primary, post-primary and third level)
• Regional bodies (principally the Local Authorities)
• Health Sector
• Non Commercial State Agencies

This accounts for approximately 335,000 employees or 17% of the 1.98 million workforce in Ireland (CSO Q3 2015).

Further information on employment in the public sector is available at:

CSO online Statbank database at CSO Table EHQ10 Public sector employment numbers

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) Public sector numbers Databank

Adhering to good standards of occupational health and safety in the public sector therefore has the potential to positively impact on thousands of employees and also supports business efficiency in this sector.

Public sector employers can actively encourage others (i.e. suppliers, contractors, partners etc.) to improve their health and safety practices and performance.

This can be achieved by:

• taking account of occupational health and safety in the development, implementation and evaluation of central government policies
• government employers using their investment and purchasing power to improve the occupational health and safety standards of other with whom they interact
• government employers exemplifying good occupational health and safety practices.