Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire go dtí an Teach. Our public servants are dedicated, committed and conscientious. At various points in the history of the State, as the Minister pointed out, they have kept the country going. One calls to mind, for example, the change of government in 2011. The change from Cumann na nGaedheal to Fianna Fáil, which took place at a much more delicate time in the history of the State, saw the public service, particularly the Garda, playing a tremendous role in keeping the country on an even keel. They have always done that.

The Fianna Fáil Party recognises the huge sacrifices that have been asked of public servants in recent years, as outlined by the Minister. Those sacrifices were, unfortunately, necessary, although many of them were opposed by the Minister when he was in opposition. Most of the measures were implemented with a focus on higher earners and with proportionate reductions across the public sector. That has been acknowledged subsequently in various economic reports. There is no doubt that the Civil Service has paid a high price. That process began under the Croke Park agreement and by way of the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, legislation - it might more accurately be called the pay cuts legislation - that has been introduced since 2009.

Notwithstanding these sacrifices, there have been outrageous attempts by certain commentators and media elements to denigrate the role of public servants. In fact, it has been a constant theme of discourse in this country that civil servants are somehow lazy and ineffective. In my experience, that is not the case. Many civil servants are among the hardest working people in the country, providing vital services upon which citizens depend. In many cases, those services are not available in the private sector. I had a case recently in which a person required a medical card not for financial reasons but simply because the service that was needed could only be obtained from the public sector by those with a medical card. In many such life-and-death situations, it is the public sector that steps in to provide the vital services.

We in Fianna Fáil do not accept that the nation must be divided into competing groups of public sector and private sector workers. On the contrary, we recognise that there is a mutual dependence between both groups of employees. The reality is that we in this country often do not treat our public servants very well. What I saw in a school I visited this morning is undoubtedly happening in other schools throughout the country.

It did not start today or yesterday. To see a head teacher or principal sitting in his office wearing his jacket is outrageous. We must do a lot more. It hit home when I saw the sacrifice that man was prepared to make, along with many others around the country, to ensure children are looked after and educated and that they can contribute socially and economically to the future development of the country. We do not treat our public servants that well. There is a necessary emphasis on change, reform and doing things better and more efficiently, but we must look after the people working there and make sure they are in a happy environment and that their work is appreciated. Often, there is too much emphasis on change and not enough on the actual work done by many of our public servants. There are lazy public servants and lazy private sector workers. That is not to denigrate one whole sector of society.

The sacrifices public servants have made over the past number of years have played a key role in reducing the deficit, which was always seen as the key to getting the economy back on track. Reducing public debt and reducing bank debt means investors are likely to have more confidence in the country and, eventually, banks will start lending again. The sacrifices of the public sector have been the key and it is worthwhile to keep reminding ourselves rather than looking for more change and cuts. It brings an element of unfairness to do so.

Any public sector reform should ensure State services are user-focused rather than producer-focused. Having said all that about how we must value our public servants, the bottom line is that they provide services demanded by the public. That is the key. We must examine items such as the results of changes in respect of waiting lists, accident and emergency unit queues, special needs facilities in schools, the time taken to process social welfare applications, the ongoing delivery of services by local authorities, and medical cards. In one case recently, a medical card was eventually given to a dying child on discretionary grounds. In another case I heard about today, the medical card of a child who may be facing amputation was rescinded. The changes and reforms in the delivery of public sector services are not working for everyone.

We support scrutiny of senior members of the public sector to hold them to account in respect of the advice they give and their performance. The Government is also keen to pursue that agenda and Fianna Fáil will support it. Policy choices are increasingly complex and it is difficult for the Government to make decisions. I faulted Ministers in the previous Government for becoming too reliant on the advice of public servants. Some Ministers in this Government have fallen into that trap, but there is a difficulty because the decisions are often complex. They depend upon a lot of research being done and Ministers depend on civil servants to do that. Going against the grain means risking the unknown. Ministers may only have a special adviser or their instincts on which to base the decision and, while they are entitled to do so, they are taking a risk. If the Minister goes against the Civil Service in making decisions, he is likely to receive media scrutiny on why he did so. The advice civil servants give is increasingly crucial because of the nature of complex decisions. The advice of civil servants must be subject to greater accountability, and we support changes in that regard. I do not think civil servants will have a problem with that.

Where I have a problem with accountability for civil servants is something that has become a feature of this Oireachtas. At the drop of a hat, when the latest headline appears in the newspaper, we are dragging public servants into committee rooms for the television. That is wrong and it should stop. Josephine Feehily and the Revenue Commissioners were dragged in here to explain issues set out in legislation. It was outrageous. A much better system is for civil servants, such as Ms Feehily and the Revenue Commissioners, to appear on a regular basis, once or twice a year, to explain what is going on. She should not just be dragged in for political purposes. She is not the only one.

In the interests of fair procedure for the citizen, the taxpayer and the public service, there should be a regular discussion at committees. This is already a feature of many committees, but the issues should be planned in advance and a timetable drawn up for all senior civil servants. They should not drag people in to appear before committees in pursuit of cheap headlines. Many of our colleagues, especially those in the Dáil, have been guilty of doing this in recent weeks. We support accountability but not at the price of fair procedure.