John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will start with Mr. Moloney's opening statement. I appreciate his coming in. Along with many Deputies and Senators, I am certainly interested in this topic from the point of view of improving the system. There is no other motive behind it. The opening statement refers to the 1924 Act. Under section 17 of the 1956 Act, as amended, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has responsibility for a range of functions including: the regulation and control of the Civil Service; classification and reclassification; numbers; remuneration of civil servants; and fixing the terms and conditions. That might be the case at a very senior management level, but the workings behind that are carried out by the officials. In general, the officials in each Department would recommend the range of responsibilities and functions. The classification and reclassification would be a matter for negotiation with the unions. The conditions governing the promotion of civil servants are part of the normal process within a company or business. The general level of activity on all of these issues is part and parcel of everyday stuff in the Civil Service. The Minister would act in those areas on instruction or recommendation from his or her Secretary General. Is that not generally how it functions?