The Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes was an advisory committee established by the Irish government in 2008 to recommend cuts in public spending. It was chaired by economist Colm McCarthy. It published two volumes of findings, commonly known as the McCarthy report, on 16 July 2009.
The group described a potential €5.3bn of savings, including 17,300 public service job cuts and a 5% cut in social welfare.[1]