Government to vet job moves by civil servants
Officials are considering establishing a cooling-off period before civil servants can move into the private sector as well as an independent board which would vet all sensitive appointments.
The new code of conduct to be enforced by the State’s ethics watchdog will be aimed at stamping out the potential for abuse of inside information. The development follows concern over the numbers of top ranking civil servants who are retiring early and moving into consultancy work.
Officials are also unhappy at the practice of tax inspectors who become private tax consultants, and then go on to deal with former colleagues on behalf of their new clients. At present, top civil servants are free to move to any job they wish, unlike other countries such as Britain where those taking private sector jobs are closely vetted.
But with many lucrative public-private partnerships contracts due to be awarded by the State over the coming years, officials are anxious to have a fully transparent system in place. SIPTU’s national industrial secretary, Noel Dowling, said he had concerns over the number of senior civil servants opting to retire early and make up for low pay by taking up work in the private sector.
“I’m not saying there is corruption going on but there needs to be something more than a voluntary code to ensure there is more transparency.”
Government sources last night said there was no suggestion civil servants who moved to private posts had done anything untoward. Dozens of top ranking civil servants have moved from the public sector to the private sector, including Paddy Teahon, Padraig Ó hUiginn, Kevin Bonner and Michael Buckley.
Up to now civil servants have been asked to respect a voluntary code of standards.
The danger of not having an enforceable code of conduct were seen in Brussels in 1999 when the EU’s German industry commissioner, Martin Bangemann quit his post to take a job with telecoms giant, Telefonica.
