Public sector report - Reform delayed for far too long

THE contrasting realities of the lives of public servants and private sector workers has been highlighted again by the news that top civil servants “toned down” an OECD report, commissioned by the Government, into the performance of our public sector.

Amazingly, the senior civil servants vetted the report into how they do their business before it was published.

If this does not represent a self-serving abuse of power, position and authority, it is difficult to imagine what might.

That they were allowed to intervene in this manner shows that the cynicism that greets so many promises of public sector reform is at least understandable. In effect, the Government was running with the hare and hunting with the hounds by promising reform but allowing “vetting” civil servants to set the agenda.

A secret group of lower level civil servants recommended that up to 8,000 jobs be cut from what they described as a “vastly overstaffed” public sector.

This radical recommendation was swept under the carpet by the top level review group before publication.

Ignoring this recommendation has naturally enough led to deep dissatisfaction among those consulted during the preparation of the report. It is never uplifting to be used as part of a whitewash.

The OECD has confirmed it had been contacted anonymously by up to five senior civil servants who argued for radical reforms to tackle “vast overstaffing”.

These included early retirement to “weed out” those who were unwilling to work or whose functions had disappeared and others “who time forgot”.

This revelation will intensify pressure on Taoiseach Brian Cowen, as if he was not under enough already, to deliver the “change” in the civil service he has made such a theme of his premiership. Though he has set up a task force the cards are already stacked in favour of the public service.

Civil servants outnumber private sector representatives five to four in this group and one of the private sector representatives is a former department secretary general.

There is a ray of hope though, but it needs to be encouraged. Those civil servants who risked their careers by telling it as they saw it show that the spirit of public service is alive and may yet influence events.

This intervention was shameful and strikes at the very core of so much of what is wrong in our country. It offered comfort where none should be given, it stymied real reform and undermined the credibility of promises made by government thereby encouraging cynicism.

This is not about begrudgery or trying to do down public sector employees. It is trying to ensure that the services and expertise that the public service will be required to contribute to the regeneration of our economy and the development of our society are readily available.

As we can see in so many spheres that is not the case at the moment.