Government needs to pay heed to taxpayers

I KNOW it’s about time but I think we have finally realised what the key attribute is that is required to attain the status of senior civil servant.

It’s none other than having a neck like a jockey’s proverbial hind quarters. There is no other way to interpret the performance of Department of Finance outgoing Secretary General, Kevin Cardiff, in front of the Public Accounts Committee last week.

The fact that Finance Minister Michael Noonan and Taoiseach Enda Kenny continue to support Mr Cardiff’s candidacy for the six-year financially lucrative European Auditors gig and that other ministers appear to speak in “tongues” or almost incoherently as Joan Burton did yesterday morning when questioned about her support, makes most of us wonder what is really going on in Government Buildings. Clearly, managing the country on behalf of the taxpayers is way down the list.