Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Is ceart go bpléfí sa Dáil an tuarascáil thábhachtach ón Eagras um Comhpháirtíocht agus Forbairt Eacnamaíochta faoin tseirbhís phoiblí. Tá tionchar láidir ag an tseirbhís phoiblí i ngach tír, ar shaol an phobail agus ar a stádas eacnamaíochta. Léiríonn tuarascáil an OECD go bhfuil seirbhís phoiblí láidir agus fiúntach againn agus go bhfuil dul chun cinn mór déanta againn leis na mblianta, ó thosnaíomar ar athnuachan an chórais riaracháin. Is léir ón tuarascáil go bhfuil níos mó le déanamh chun a chinntiú go bhfuil seirbhís phoiblí den chéad scoth againn chun freastail ar phobal ilghnéitheach na linne seo. Ní mór dúinn, ach go háirithe, féachaint chuige go bhfuil na Ranna Stáit agus na heagrais phoiblí uile dírithe ar aidhmeanna polasaithe poiblí agus freagrach as an teacht amach a chruthaítear. Tugann tuarascáil an OECD treoir dúinn, conas is féidir an chéad dul chun tosaigh eile sa seirbhís poiblí a eagrú. Tá mé sásta go dtugann an tuarascáil, bonn suntasach dúinn chun straitéis cuimsitheach a chur i bhfeidhm. Is ceart cinnireacht na seirbhíse poiblí agus saineolas ón gcóras ghnó phríobháideach a thabhairt le chéile chun é sin a dhéanamh. Mar sin, tá mé ag cur os comhair na Dála inniu ainmneacha an ghrúpa atá á chur ar bun agam chun moltaí a ullmhú ar chonas is fearr tuarascáil an OECD a chur i bhfeidhm.

I welcome the opportunity to commence this debate on the OECD's report on its review of the public service. The report, Towards an Integrated Public Service, marks the culmination of 16 months of work by the OECD, which involved intensive analysis and extensive consultation. Members of the Oireachtas were consulted in their roles as chairs of a number of committees, members of such committees and party spokespersons. This substantive report is widely recognised as an authoritative assessment of the current state of the public service. It has been accepted as such by the Government. The OECD has outlined in depth the strengths of our current system. More importantly, it has outlined the disconnects and challenges that must be addressed if the public service is to meet the needs and expectations of our citizens. The OECD acknowledges that the public service is on a sound path of modernisation. It believes that our relatively small public sector has contributed to our competitive advantage. However, it acknowledges that there is an insufficient focus on performance that delivers outcomes in line with the needs of citizens. It correctly categorises our public service reform process as being inward-facing and overly focused on processes and procedures, without sufficiently demonstrating that it is driven by the complex and diverse needs of citizens or focused on making a difference to the quality of their lives.

The OECD's main recommendation is that we should think about the public service as a more integrated system. An integrated public service means getting people in the various parts of the system to work in a more consistent, co-ordinated and networked way across traditional sectoral and organisational boundaries. It does not necessarily mean changing the structure of the public service or changing the existing number of offices or agencies. It involves ensuring that Departments, offices and agencies interact with each other in new ways and providing for integrated action in policy making, delivery and implementation. It will require greater pooling and sharing of information, data and resources, a common pursuit of objectives and greater governance of State agencies, offices and bodies under the aegis of Departments.

The report recognises the value of the extensive reform efforts which have been undertaken to date in areas like customer service, e-Government, human resources, financial management and better regulation. The positive results of the change and reform programme in the quality customer service area can be seen by citizens. Management and organisational reforms introduced via the performance management development system have resulted in better functioning individual organisations. The OECD recognises that the dividend from many of these reforms will be fully harvested as they become increasingly embedded. Having said that, the OECD clearly believes we can and should do better. Despite the significant improvements and reforms which have been introduced, many challenges remain. The past decade has seen increases in public service expenditure and employee numbers. Expectations for improved service delivery, greater efficiency and better performance from our public service have increased. The OECD has indicated that if we can sequence future reforms in a better way, we can improve performance and service delivery and achieve greater efficiencies. Many of the reform initiatives which have been introduced to date have focused largely on the Civil Service, which comprises just one tenth of the public sector, as opposed to the broader public service.

The public sector is required to review its systems, processes and procedures continuously to ensure they are responsive and efficient. The public service needs to provide high quality services which represent value for money. Citizens need to be sure the public service will deliver the services they expect when needed, where needed and as needed. The OECD has clearly highlighted the need to put the public at the centre of our public services. The public service modernisation process needs to deliver results that are clear, useful and verifiable to the user. A number of initiatives which are in place are addressing many of the challenges identified in the OECD report. I intend to pursue a comprehensive programme of renewal which integrates these initiatives and moves us towards a world-class public service that is equipped to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

I am pleased to inform this House that today I am appointing a task force to develop an action plan for the public service to report to Government before the end of the summer. This task force will be chaired by the Secretary General to the Government. Its membership will include four external members: Mark Ryan, country managing director, Accenture; John Moloney, group managing director, Glanbia plc; Breege O'Donoghue, director, Penneys Primark; and Paul Haran, principal, College of Business and Law, UCD; as well as four Secretaries General, the Secretary General responsible for public service management at the Department of Finance and the Secretaries General of the Departments of Health and Children, the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Education and Science.

The terms of reference of the task force are to prepare for consideration by Government a comprehensive framework for renewal of the public service, which takes into account the analysis and conclusions of the OECD report, Towards an Integrated Public Service, as well as the lessons to be drawn from the strategic management initiative, the organisational review programme, and the efficiency review process, and to recommend in particular how best to secure an overarching policy for an integrated public service that enables increased flexibility mobility and staff development, supports the competencies and practices necessary for new network ways of working within and across the broad public service; and how to secure the basis for determining the contribution which a senior public service could make to an integrated and cohesive public service.

The task force is also being asked to outline a set of criteria to inform the way in which the business of Government is structured and organised, with a strategy to enable necessary changes to be planned and implemented successfully; and the benefits of greater use of shared services across all sectors of the public service. One example of successful shared services currently in operation is the Killarney financial shared services centre. It provides financial services for the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and eight other client organisations, including my Department. The task force is also being asked to outline an appropriate framework for the establishment and operation and governance of State agencies. In this regard, the OECD recommends putting in place a formal performance dialogue between Departments and agencies and the Department of Finance. This would entail a process of setting different types of targets and evaluation, and making links between inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes.

Furthermore, the task force is being asked to develop a strategy by which e-Government delivers coherent and citizen-focused services and more closely supports greater efficiency in administrative processes; and an implementation plan, specifying the tasks and responsibilities necessary for the successful implementation of the renewal agenda, including the ways in which the principle of partnership with public servants and their representatives will be applied. The task force will complete its work by the end of the summer and I look forward to its report.

Change and transformation has become a way of life in the private and public sector. The key skill is no longer managing a steady state, it is about managing and sustaining change. These skills need to be embedded into the service at all levels. A key principle is that leadership is needed at all levels, not just at the top. Any change programme must be clearly articulated in simple language and must be explainable in a clear road map with identified programme outcomes, objectives, priorities, timeline and responsibilities. The plan should be accompanied by a narrative that explains any proposed changes in plain language with the benefits — that is the value to the citizen — and the plan to make it happen. A transformation programme will only be successful if it is led and supported by strong senior leadership. It must also address all the required enablers to deliver sustainable change — policy, processes, people and technology. The change associated with such a programme must address the impacts on key stakeholders within the public service, NGOs and citizens in a structured and planned manner.

I am ambitious for the public service and I know that the public service is ambitious for itself. I want the public service to be an exemplar of success by being fit for purpose, performance focused, integrated and citizen centred. On my election as Taoiseach, I made it clear that I am determined to take decisive action to improve public services. My ambition is for a renewed and flexible public service which can continue to command the respect and confidence of our citizens and taxpayers. With the appointment of the task force today, I am taking the first of many steps to deliver on that commitment.

See this speech in context