Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There were a lot of detailed questions that I will not have time to answer and we need a better forum than one which provides a minute to answer these questions.

On the first question, I will have an open mind on the leadership. If the other model presents itself in 18 months' time as a better model, I will support that.

The review of the discipline code will happen. It is part of what we need to do to ensure that everybody is optimum. We, first, must give real tasks to staff in the Civil Service so they know what they are supposed to do. One cannot state they are not delivering if they do not have a clear understanding of what they are supposed to deliver and the tools to deliver it, in terms of training and skills.

That brings me to the other point. Deputy McDonald talks about recruitment. We now have opened general recruitment, but most of the recruitment we had been able to do in the recessionary times was of specialists because there are specialist deficiencies in a number of areas. We have established a new economic advisory group, that has been trained in my Department and now gives economic analysis across all Departments. We have looked at better human resource management by bringing in trained human resource specialists, the same as in procurement, on which my colleague, the Minister of State, will answer questions.

Low pay is a real issue. That is why we are establishing a low-pay commission which will look not only at the private sector, but also at the public sector. It will have a broad remit when it is established next year.

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