Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

There are many who have taken up advisory positions for many Ministers in different Administrations who have had long-term public service careers. Many of them — from memory, perhaps even the majority, certainly in my party — will have been people with a long-term involvement with the system. They understand how policy is formulated and how one interacts between Departments in order to get work done by undertaking and implementing initiatives. There are also some people who come in from outside who have also been very good.

Certain skills are required to do that job properly. Many have been successful but there is no identikit formula. It depends very much on a Minister's own initiative in the first instance and the ability of those who are employed by him or her to ensure that the Minister's writ runs in the Department of which he or she is the political head. Some have been very adept at that. It is important to point out, however, that there is no room for complacency in any of these matters. People have work to do and they need to get on with it. It must be done as efficiently and effectively as possible. That signal must be sent out and I hope that some of the directives I have given in that respect will send that signal as well.

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