Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes, there is a balance. That said, what I have seen happen at assistant principal, principal officer and Secretary General level is that a number of individuals leave the public service, go through whatever cooling-off period they need to - if they need to but most do not- then go to work in the private sector and come back again. I have seen that happen most in the areas of international taxation, the Revenue Commissioners and law. We have a growing number of people who would have worked in, say, an accounting firm or legal firm, got to a particular point in their careers or lives and then wanted to work in the public service. We benefit enormously from that.