Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Does the Taoiseach accept that the area in greatest need of reform within the public service is in the higher management of the public service and the political management of Departments? How can the Taoiseach and for example, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, stand over the inordinate period of time it takes to process applications from people recently out of work seeking jobseeker's benefit or allowance? Some of these people wait months to have their applications processed. We have all heard about this in our constituencies. Does the Taoiseach not accept that there is something fundamentally wrong with the systems and that if there is to be public service reform management at the highest level and that political management of Departments must point out the unacceptability of these poor practices? What does the Taoiseach believe should and must be done to ensure that there is quality public service and that the pain and hurt of people applying for social welfare supports are not compounded by a system that treats them as suspects rather than as people who are genuinely in need?

One of the questions in this set refers to quality customer service. Where is the quality customer service? Do we have a code or is there a statement of best practice somewhere on a wall in all of these outlets? Where is quality public service part and parcel of what is happening on a daily basis? What is the position regarding the special group on public service numbers and expenditure programme? Is it not the case that this group and the exercise it is involved in is focused most particularly on a bookkeeping or cost-cutting exercise and that public service reform is not an integral part of its work? When is that special group due to report?

See this speech in context