Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

They are not too long. I welcome the publication of the OECD review as a starting point for the next phase in the reform of the public service. I am proud of our public service, with which I have had a close working relationship, initially as a member and for some years subsequent to that as an adviser. Whether one looks to the peace process, our place at the heart of the EU or social partnership and the success of the economy, it is clear the public has been well served by its public servants, particularly in the past 21 years. I know from direct experience the improvements that have taken place in the efficiency of agricultural grants and the streamlining of the tax system, particularly through the Revenue on-line service. I look forward to creative interaction with the civil servants in my Department in my role as Minister of State. My wife and I took the opportunity some nights ago to watch several episodes of "Yes, Minister". I particularly enjoyed the one in which the Minister proposes to demolish an art gallery to fund a favourite sports organisation in his constituency but is frustrated in so doing.

It is clear from today's discussion that further advancement of the public service modernisation programme must be focused on the needs of citizens. We must keep the public at the centre of public services. The person on the street is not deeply interested in issues of public service organisation; he or she simply wants to see the prompt and efficient delivery of services. At its heart, modernisation is about delivering excellent public services. We have come a long way in delivering on this agenda since the launch of the strategic management initiative in 1994 and the Delivering Better Government programme in 1996. These initiatives set the agenda for modernisation and change to ensure that, on an ongoing basis, the public service would make a greater contribution to national development, be a provider of top class services to the public and make effective use of resources.

The implementation of the modernisation agenda is driven by various partnership agreements across the public service. The current agreement, Towards 2016, builds on the progress made under its predecessors and ensures continued co-operation with change and modernisation initiatives as well as improvements in productivity throughout the public service. It is fair to say that the implementation of the strategic management initiative and delivering better Government programme, as well as the ongoing partnership approach, have contributed greatly to expanding, improving and reforming our public services.

There have been significant improvements in the areas of financial management, human resource management, regulatory reform, e-Government initiatives and custom service delivery mechanisms. Significant service improvements have also been made and many people's direct experience with the public service is good, with some obvious exceptions in pressurised areas. However, while significant progress has been made in the last decade or so, we must accept that many more changes are both awaited and needed. Our society and economy continue to change, rapidly in some cases, and public services must keep pace with, and preferably anticipate, that change.

Several Deputies referred to decentralisation. I took the opportunity yesterday to visit the temporary decentralised offices in Tipperary town, which were opened earlier this month. Many of the staff members are from Limerick and are pleased to be able to work closer to home.

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