Retired civil servants may still have a valuable contribution to make

YOUR editorial claim (Irish Examiner, November 7) that the Government is merely rewarding incompetence by rehiring recently retired civil servants to continue to serve in their previous departments is dubious.

Details reported by Shaun Connolly suggest otherwise.

Examples include the OPW paying a total of only €70,000 to five people; the Land Registry only €8,000 to one person and the garda paid only €13,000.

Not big money, and maybe good value. It is bad management unnecessarily to inflate public sector numbers. Dublin airport and the Talbot Motor Co workers are examples from the Haughey era. Some complex cases and issues are more effectively and efficiently completed by someone familiar with specific details whose age happens to pass a pension milestone.

I am aware that such ‘retired’ staff are rehired on the understanding that they do not impinge on the promotion rights of remaining staff and that the position remains ‘budget neutral’.

Perhaps it is a good thing, and rather than being subtly criticised, these officials should be saluted for their willingness to work on.

The real incompetence of the Government is their failure to recast the current retirement age and the consequential mandatory waste of talent and experience in the public sector caused by the outdated 65th birthday finishing line.

Increasing longevity, better health and the cost burden of prolonged pension payments will force change in national pension arrangements sooner rather than later.

The civil service is a good place to pilot the way forward.

Your suggestion that perhaps the cabinet should formally approve these posts is frankly ridiculous.

Dr Bill Tormey

Dublin City Councillor

Fine Gael

167 Glasnevin Ave

Dublin 11