Government beefs up economic policy committee

THE Government is to beef up the Cabinet committee deciding economic policy by appointing a high-powered civil servant to run it.

The Economic Management Council (EMC) is to get its own dedicated “second secretary general” as another step in the overhaul of decision making structures taking place behind the scenes.

The EMC was established by the Government upon taking office and consists of Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, Finance Minister Michael Noonan and Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin. All significant economic decisions — such as last week’s banking strategy — are being taken by the EMC, which has the status of a Cabinet committee, before being brought to the full Cabinet for formal approval.

Mr Howlin has described the EMC as the “the decision-making nexus for all economic policy”.

The coalition has now decided to beef up the EMC by giving the body its own dedicated second secretary general and other resources.

Government departments are run by secretaries-general, the most senior civil servants. “Second” secretaries-general are the next highest rung and are usually assigned individual divisions of departments.

While senior civil servants act as the secretariat to Cabinet committees, they usually do this in addition to their other work within departments.

While the final detail has yet to be confirmed, Government sources indicated last night that the second secretary-general chosen for the EMC would be dedicated solely to it, a reflection of its importance.

“The idea is that (the EMC) has the best expertise available to it because it is the biggest issue facing the country and dwarves everything else,” one source said.

It’s envisaged that the second secretary general will also take responsibility for co-ordination with the EU on economic strategy.

“Unless we can dedicate ourselves to 12 months of hard labour in that area, and focus on the EU and constant discussions — diplomatic and otherwise — we’re not going to be able to change their minds on big issues on which we need to change their minds.”

A second source said the co-ordination role would mean pulling together strands within the departments of Mr Kenny and Mr Gilmore.

“There are significant elements within the Department of Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs on EU co-ordination and the (second) secretary general would pull those together because it’s crucial to the whole economic agenda,” he said.

A spokesman for Mr Kenny confirmed that changes were being made but would not go into specifics. “Some organisational change is being undertaken to reflect the economic priorities of the Government,” he said.

A spokesman for Mr Gilmore said: “A decision has been made in principle that the EMC should be properly resourced. But final decisions on the nature of staffing or resources have not been made yet.”