Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I recently said that there is a need to open up opportunities from the private sector to the public sector in many specialised and technical areas. There is also provision in the social partnership programme for open competition in these areas. In fairness, there is much churning within Departments. By the time people get to assistant secretary level, they may have served in two or three other Departments. They may have come in at principal officer level to that Department, therefore, the Deputy is not getting the full story in the reply.

Making positions available for open competition is a matter for TLAC. The senior civil servant referred to, who is a senior member of TLAC, indicated that the body is open to considering, consistent with the maintenance of morale and the expertise available within the service, how there might be some cross-fertilisation with the private sector. Contracting out to the private sector should be engaged in to a much greater extent. Exchange programmes should be taking place in technical areas as well as in the wider policy formulation, administrative and commercial areas. Civil servants who have come back into the system following a degree of knowledge and practice in the commercial world would have more experience.

This is an area in which we must be creative and innovative, consistent with acknowledging and giving opportunities to those in the system who are providing a good service and who would be suitable for senior positions.

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