Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy's questions underscore the point I made earlier to Deputy McDonald on the need for a more structured debate on this exciting set of reforms, which will be transformative for the Civil Service.

In regard to a spokesperson for the Civil Service, it has been determined that the Secretary General of my Department will be the official spokesperson for the Civil Service. We need somebody to argue and listen to criticisms on behalf of the Civil Service, as opposed to Ministers performing those tasks. In regard to the management board, one of the major deficiencies in the Civil Service is that it is not sufficiently integrated. One of the objectives of the new reform plan is to develop a more integrated Civil Service so that people do not think in terms of silos. If a manager cedes personnel or functions to another Department, that should not be seen as a weakening of his or her position but as a shared assessment of how services can be improved or particular problems addressed. In terms of assessments, for the first time objective criteria will be developed for assessing performance against the stated objectives of Secretaries General. This exercise will be carried out by a board chaired by the Taoiseach and will involve myself and other Ministers, a number of Secretaries General and external experts from business. All of this will be put in place in the coming weeks.

Clearly we need a broader debate on these issues but I am excited about the potential for a real transformation and, more important, by the engagement of 2,000 civil servants in the process over the last year. There is an appetite to embrace change and to do things better, and the objective of having one of the best civil and public services in the world is within our grasp.

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