Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We did discuss this matter on Committee Stage. I indicated then that I believe that the Irish public service has a reasonably well developed initiative to promote staff mobility and I gave some examples of that on Committee Stage. I accept that there is scope to introduce a more integrated mobility policy. We have agreed with the unions under the Croke Park agreement that we need to move towards an increasingly integrated public service in any event and to achieve that, the public service will need to be reorganised and public sector bodies and individual public servants will have to have more flexibility. Our terms and conditions in respect of sick leave, pay, annual leave and so on will have to be regularised so that they are more uniform. These points are very well made. Consideration is being given to the opportunities to strengthen mobility within the Civil Service as part of the programme of reforms under way. I will introduce a new reform package early in the new year and I will have regard to the mobility issue in crafting that.

See this speech in context