Review ‘a sign benchmarking in public sector failed’

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern’s decision to order a major review of the public service was an admission that the €1.3 billion benchmarking scheme had failed abjectly, Fine Gael claimed yesterday.

Mr Ahern announced yesterday that he has asked the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to commission an independent review of the Irish public service.

In so doing, Mr Ahern accepted that there were underlying problems in the public services despite the unprecedented levels of investment being made.