Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The strategy statement of the Department of the Taoiseach refers to the need to offer objective and evidence-informed advice to the Government. It refers to a deep-rooted public service ethos of independence, integrity and impartiality. In that context I ask the Taoiseach about the Romanes lecture he gave to the University of Oxford earlier this month under the heading The Centre Will Hold: Liberal Democracy and the Populist Threat. It is clear the Taoiseach is concerned about populist offerings and simplistic solutions to complex problems and the portrayal of experts as part of some sort of elite conspiracy. We are all aware of a recent call for the sacking of the chief economist at the Department of Finance. Of course, our Civil Service should be open to reform, but how important is it, does the Taoiseach think, in today's world, with all the threats to democracy, for a democratic system to have an impartial Civil Service giving objective information on the policy issues of the day?

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