This Gruntled Public Servant

Unpaid Leave

2009-11-30T07:41:00.000-08:00

It seems proposals are circulating in respect of unpaid leave. Civil and public servants may be required to take up to 2 weeks of unpaid leave as part of the deal currently being hammered out.

If approved, it's fairly easy to see how this will play out in the media. Two weeks unpaid leave works out at about 5% of the working year. If a 5% pay cut is enforced the argument will be that as the working year has also been cut the 5% reduction in pay is not really cut. And they'd have a point.

Personally, I'd rather not have my salary cut (would anyone?) but if it has to be cut, then doing it by way of an enforced period of leave would be preferential. At least then there is an opportunity to go do something productive with the time to offset the salary lost.

The other impact such a move is likely to have is in relation to saving. No doubt anyone faced with an enforced lay-off will save like crazy in the run up to it (I know I will), thus further curtailing spending and adding pressure to an already over-stressed business community.

Ryanairisation of Public Services?

2009-11-30T06:15:00.000-08:00

It seems Michael O'Leary is going to sort us all out - or so one upset client shouted this morning. On the negative side, shouting to get your point across is never a good strategy, but at least he had the good grace not to personally insult the staff member dealing with him.

It did set me thinking though as to whether MO'L could sort out the public service. Don't get me wrong, my default position as a public servant is not to hate the very ground upon which Mr O'Leary walks; far from it. I would count myself as an admirer of him and what he has achieved - although I'd never work for him.

Mr O'Leary is a formidable businessman who achieved literally what others could not. You can also say what you like about Ryanair, but they've revolutionised air travel and made it possible for a generation of immigrants and emigrants to travel back and forward with increasing ease. I'd even agree with them on a number of issues, specifically in relation to national competitiveness and taxation of air travel - why we, on the edge of Europe, so dependent on air travel, would tax it is beyond me! I'd make it as easy (and as cheap) as possible for people to travel here.

Anyway, while Mr O'Leary is an undeniable success, it would be wrong to suggest that success in one area could be easily translated to another very different arena. Costs need to be leaned on and there are prodigious qunatities of fat to be trimmed from the public service, but really aren't there some services where we have to spend more than the bare minimum?

In saying that, Ryanair is cute enough. There is never any suggestion they skimp on the important stuff (like aircraft, engines and pilots) and they do ensure that those who want more pay more, although those who make honest mistakes also pay more too, and there seems to be no account taken of ability to pay. They are relentlessly efficient and consummate publicists. There is a lot to be learned from them.

However, it's also worth noting that they have been fallible. They've certainly over-paid for their stake in Aer Lingus and it should also be remembered that they famously initially rejected the internet as a means of selling tickets. But once they woke up to the internet they squeezed it for every penny and cent it was worth.

In the public service, for me the ideal would be someone with sufficient intellect and character to do the strategising to act as a counter-weight to and O'Leary-like executive to do the implementing. We could do with Ryanair's lean, flexible and energetic approach to providing a service, but not in an unbridled fashion.

2009-11-26T03:13:00.000-08:00

Forty eight hours after the national day of action and there's some perspective to judge the efficacy of the event. First off, I didn't strike because I didn't agree with it for a number of diametrically opposed reasons. Fundamentally, I felt striking, withdrawing labour or whatever is wrong; ethically and morally. Such actions impact society (which is their undoubted aim) but the impact is felt disproportionately.

For the lower paid or those on welfare, delaying payments adds hardship that no one on a decent salary can possibly comprehend. Similarly, anyone with schoolgoing kids and a job to go to has their family life turned upside down. Patients, especially the elderly, have their treatment thrown into turmoil causing additional distress and strain they can do without. The better paid - who inevitably tend to be older and healthier with grown children - feel a minimal impact, which makes you wonder what the day achieved?

Secondly, one day of action is a waste. If there is to be a strike, then make it a proper one or better still develop a programme of targeted action that impacts strongly against the decisionmakers the unions are trying to influence while leaving the rest of us to get and muddle through. Tuesday was the childhood equivalent of knocking on a door and running away.

If the unions wish to persist with this strategy they need to abandon tokenism and become much more imaginative.

From the jaws of defeat.

2009-04-01T06:33:00.001-07:00

I've been travelling for the last few weeks - some of it work related along with some holidays (well deserved it has to be said) and some busmen's holidays in the form of lecturing at an insitute of learning in the UK.

First, I think it's great that the day of national action was called off. For the life of me I couldn't see what could possibly be achieved by us all giving up a day's work. The day of reckoning for the political leaders of the country draws closer, and the event that will start the process of bringing them to account will be the local authority elections.

I suspect Fianna Fail will be scorched in the locals and perhaps the European Elections leaving a lot of former councillors and their supporters feeling pretty upset at the leadership of the party. I think that soon after that the rumblings of discontent will start that will culminate in the Taoiseach, Tanaiste and Minister of Finance facing down their critics in a "back us or sack us" showdown.

It's difficult to see how that might end, but I think they will survive, but it will be part of the developing pantomine that will end with a general election in the autumn after the budget next week which will further exacerbate the country's economic challenges and the Government's political problems.

As for the Greens, I suspect they will come out of the local and European Elections largely unscathed. They are, it seems, mostly harmless and while they've fretted at the direction in which the Government has gone, the perception is that it's not their ideology that's driving economic policy. However, all that could change next week if a raft of taxation disguised as carbon taxes are introduced by the Minister of Finance ensuring the "blowback" form the tax-paying public is directed greenwards.

Returning to the day of action, I was especially glad to see that my own union, the AHCPS, voted by a majority (60% to 40%) against taking industrial action. My sense was there would be a vote against it because I knew no one who was voting for taking action, and they knew no one in favour of it either. Saying that, there was concern that some of the more militant (and larger) branches might have carried us by weight of numbers out on to the streets for the 30th of March.

The vote against was particularly pleasing because it went against the strong recommendation of the Executive Committee, which just goes to show that more public servants than you think do not fit the mould perpetuated by IBEC's propaganda.

2009-03-09T03:59:00.000-07:00

The ballot papers for the the strike ballot arrived and were distributed this morning. The AHCPS (Association of Higher and Civil Pubic Servants) of which I am a member are advocating and recommending that we (the membership) vote in favour of strike action. The interesting thing is that so far no one I've talked to who is a member of the union is voting "yes" - in fact they are all unified in their view that a yes vote is the wrong thing to do.

I'll be voting no to strike action for reasons I'll be going into in my next post, but for the moment it's probably worth reflecting on the notion that there is no appetite for industrial action for universally held notion that withdrawing labour at this time would be nothing other than petulant foot stamping, and not something that serves anyone's interests.

Finally, just to add that in case readers regard the lack of appetite for a strike to be a local phenomenon, I know members of the AHCPS who work elsewhere are equally adamant in their conviction that voting in favour of a walkout is wrong and something they will not be doing.

Maybe common sense is starting to prevail.

Civilising Effect

2009-03-07T07:07:00.001-08:00

In another life I shared an office in England in an old Victorian building with two colleagues a lot older than me and on the cusp of retiring. I was the nipper, the youngster even the gofer, but the two gentlemen (which is what they were) always treated me with respect, even affection, and saw it as their job to educate me in the job I was performing. When they got going they would often lament that society's ills really began when National Service ended.

They reckoned it made you stronger, more resourceful and more resilient as an individual and a better team player. Maybe it did, maybe it didn't.

Prospect magazine leads on the cover of this month's edition with a suggestion that the time for compulsory civic service among young people may have arrived; not quite national service in the military, but an interesting proposition all the same. The authors propose the introduction of a mandatory national citizenship service programme covering young people aged 16 to 25. Participants would be paid a modest amount—perhaps around the minimum wage—to spend at least six months, and preferably a full year, working on projects supporting children, the sick and elderly, the environment, and international development.

The idea would be to supplement not replace the work done by professionals; it would not be a cheap gimmick to replace teachers, nurses, carers or other workers. It would, however, free them perhpas from some of the more mundane tasks or allow the re-introduction of some activities that have had to be sacrificed in the face of increasing workloads.

Participants could visit older people to reduce the sense of isolation, help out in youth groups, homework clubs or sports activities, and even help build schools, sanitation and medical facilities in developing countries. In short it would allow them to make a meaningful contribution, as a way of repaying the State for subsidising their education.

The benefits could also be expected to be reciprocal. Participation would broaden everyone's horizons, but especially perhaps younger people who have limited life experience. There is also a suggestion it would have a "civilising effect" and make smoother the process of integration.

Shouldn't Ireland pursue a similar programme? Of course it should, if for no other reason than for the next few years we will be turning out graduates when there are few opportunities for employment or emigration. A civic service programme would provide a meaningful outlet for graduates (and school-leavers), mitigate the worst societal impacts of the recession, while rounding out the personalities and characters of future employees.

Well educated, well developed and resilient graduates could be what draws serious high value investment back to the country, rather than transient tax breaks.

2009-03-07T07:04:00.000-08:00

The return of the zonbies!! Or the penguins. This bunch of Fianna Failers look like penguins crowding around a wildlife presenter. There's even 2 leprechauns in the lower right hand corner. It looks like at any minute they are about to begin chanting "We are one....we are one."

Very spooky.............

Fit for Purpose

2009-03-05T07:36:00.000-08:00

So HM Civil Service might not be fit for purpose.

What's that got to do with the Irish civil and public service? Quite a lot actually.

We interact at various levels with our colleagues in the other jurisdiction and we share a common heritage (whether we like it or not), but beyond that there are important differences.

My main concern would be that if HM Civil Service is not fit for purpose then what migh that say about our own Civil Service. Having spent time working with them I've always found them to be incredibly professional and proficient, and, to be honest, generally better at doing there jobs comapred to the equivalent here.

Yes, I know there will be examples here of organisations and individuals who are world class in their delivery of public services, but generally the UK's Civil Service is ahead by a long shot in terms of service delivery and innovation. Where the Irish Civil Service can be quite conservative and introspective, our UK counterparts tend to me more progressive and engaging.

If they are not fit for purpose then what purpose are we fit for?

Institutionally Questionable

2009-03-05T00:55:00.000-08:00

Returning to the Transparency International Report, one of the observations detailed by the authors concerns the slack regulation of businesses.

Given the recent problems of the banks and the rotten onion currently being unpeeled layer by layer, the apparent problem stems not so much from a deficit in the legislation but from problems elsewhere.

The country has extensive laws regulating the operation of businesses in all sectors, and without getting into a debate about whether this amounts to an excess of legislation and regulation, we seem to have more than we need.

In support of those statutes, the State has also established appropriate institutions (the regulators) to police businesses and apply the will of the Oireachtas as expressed through the laws they passed. Certainly, it can be argued that the regulatory agencies have been well resourced which makes it a little difficult to fathom where it all went wrong; the regulators didn't fail overnight.

While we might have the right laws, backed up by the right institutions, the wheels really came off with the staffing. The problem and the failure of regulation can be traced back not to an inability to recruit able staff, but to an unwillingness to place competent and capable individuals in key senior positions in organisations that ultimately proved strategic to the success or failure of the economy. In those positions they were then able to block or rein in perhaps some of the more zealous technocrats who might be minded to do a proper job.

The appointment and placing of senior people is a matter for ministers, who at the time probably regarded the slotting in of malleable individuals as political success, in the long run, though, it may turn out to be some of their greatest failures.

I can see clearly

2009-03-03T07:42:00.000-08:00

Transparency is an important facet of civic life and good governance. It shows that the institutions of the state are not only being well run and but are being run for the benefit of the citizen.

In Ireland, it will not come as a shock to many that the vast majority of our systems of government, our institutions and our state bodies are not transparent in either operation or culture. Many make a big play of being transparent, but what they present is more mirage than transparency.

Yes, the country may have a Freedom of Information Act, but it should be remembered this Act was gutted as soon as it became apparent that it was yielding up outcomes that were politically embarassing for both politicians and government departments. Further, the country has no "whistle blowing" legislation that might allow at least some veneer of protection to be availed of by public servants who might be minded to reveal all in the interest of the public.

The report issued by Transparency International should not come as a surprise to anyone. While the country is largely free of petty corruption (bribes etc to officials), it is rife with "legal corruption"; undue political influence stemming from lawful political funding manifested by cronyism, political patronage and favours, donations and other contacts that influence political decisions and behaviour. We must be world champions at that.

In fact, it would be a fair assessment to describe what we suffer from in Ireland is insitutional corruption. It's rife, it hampers service delivery and there is zero motivation to do anything about it.

Perhaps the explanation can be found in our social and cultural history, but regardless there is no appetite for reform, because that would require the main beneficiaries of the current system to go without, and that is the equivalent of turkeys voting for Christmas. It suits the politicians to keep the system loose, but it also suits the management of the public service.

Many in positions of authority, power and responsibility owe their position to a well positioned benefactor, who themselves owe their position to the loose system and the whole mess perpetuates. They will not be inclined to change a system to a state that might see them excluded or shown up for their lack of ability.

While the case for reform is transparent, the enthusiasm for it may be somewhat more insubstantial.

Arnotts, Clery's or The Gaiety

2009-03-02T06:45:00.000-08:00

Just a quick word on the "raid" on Anglo last week.

The question arises as to whether this was a genuine raid or a bit of window dressing or stage management. My view is it was not a genuine, Eliot-Ness type occasion. Only Anglo was "raided"; staff from the the ODCE have been there for quite a while; and, crucially, they apparently had an appointment - not exactly looking to benefit from the element of surprise!!

Crucially too, no other raids were timed or choreogrpahed to coincide with the blitz on the Stephens Green offices of the bank. You would think that the homes or other offices of suspects or potential suspects would have been hit at the same time to ensure any evidence was secured.

All of which points to an exercise in window dressing or stage management. The event was unlikely to yield anything that won't otherwise be revealed by diligent investigation, but it was important to show that this work is going on. As an exercise in enforcement it was questionable, but it was an important first step to correcting the widely held notion that nothing is happening.

Losing the Vote

2009-02-24T00:56:00.000-08:00

We're a fairly typical family, I'd imagine. Some of us work in the public service, some of us in the private sector and a few even own or have owned their own businesses.

Between, spouses, sons, siblings and parents, I'd say about one third of us work in the public service as Guards, managers etc; about half work in the private sector (some services and some in the banks) and the rest own or co-own their own businesses. One unifying thread, though, has been the family's allegiance to Fianna Fail.

With the odd exception, we've been a staunch Fianna Fail family for as many generations as any of us can remember. While some will never abandon Fianna Fail, for myself I would say I will not be voting for them next time around although at some point in the future I'm sure like a lot of people who abandon them at the next few eletions, we'll drift back.

What kind of stunned me last night, was my son - who is in education - declared that he will never be voting Fianna Fail - ever!! Ever....ever. He was quite adamant. The problem for Fianna Fail is that he's only nine.

My first thought was that the teachers were radicalising our youth!! But further discussions drew out that these ideas and affirmed declarations were not originating in the class room, but the school yard. The general view among him and his friends is that the Taoiseach and the Government are not just doing a bad job, but they are being nasty - that they are hurting people. And in the logic of the playground, that's just not fair.

In the interests of reasonable debate I found myself arguing on behalf of the Government, but it seems he wasn't for turning. As far as they are concerned, the Government if they need more money should be taking it from everyone, not just a few people and they reckon that they could do the job better (for that read "fairer"). They also have plans for when they are older which include not voting for Fianna Fail.

The enduring achievement of the current Fianna Fail leadership could yet be that in making the party unelectable for a generation (think post - Thatcher / Major Tories!!) they animate a rising generation of young people to engage in public service and public governance when traditionally their role was to be a disinterested, if significant, minority. It would be difficult to argue that both phenomena would not be for the long term benefit of the country.

and the there were five

2009-02-24T00:55:00.001-08:00

Rumours circulating around suggest that another member of the Anglo 10 is about to be outed; only this this one is likely to prove much more embarassing for the Government.

If the stories / rumours are to be believed, it's a former Government Minister!

Send for the plumbers

2009-02-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

As suggested last week some of the names of the Anglo 10 or the Maple 10 have leaked out, or rather been uncovered by some diligent investigative reporting.

I'm not sure what they have been referred to as the Maple 10. Originally it was suggested that it was because they were a bit thick, but looking at the four names revealed thus far, there are some fairly clever people there.

Perhaps someone could enlighten me as to why they are referred to as the Maple 10?

What's almost as interesting are the people who have been ruled out of the Golden Circle of 10. I think there are some names on the excluded list who a lot of people would have expected to see as part of the Goden Circle. Maybe the Maple 10 are clever, just not as clever as the some of the others who stayed out of the Golden Circle.

One Man's Traitor

2009-02-23T02:05:00.000-08:00

With all the talk of treason, treachery and patriotism, I've been wondering which bracket I might fall into?

I certainly don't come into the heroic bracket of the Maple 10 - I didn't invest in Anglo or buy shares. Although having seen what's happened I kind of wish I did. I was planning to try the same trick with Bank of Ireland - no, not hoover up a few hundred million in shares, although I have a couple of Euro left from the weekend. Rather, I was planning to tell them that I was stopping paying my mortgage. I assume like Anglo, they'll not chase me for the security (the house!!) and I can live in it scot-free, while setting off the loss against my tax liabilities - I reckon that will cover, more than adequately, the cost of the pension levy!

But as opposed to being a hero, I'm afraid Flyin' Brian, our Minister of Finance might categorise me as engaging in economic treason. My trips to Newry have increased in frequency so much so that between it, Ebay and Amazon (as well as a few other sites), most of my disposable income is now expended outside the State. The failure of prices to drop quickly enough, coupled with the doom-laden rhetoric of our politicians has made such spending decisions an imperative.

Regardless of the arguments against economic patriotism I reckon such defiant spending is one of the more effective gestures an ordinary citizen can engage in. It benefits the individual while sending a signal to businesses and politicians that the consumer will not be messed with and creates a powerful motivation to reform and change or perish.

I wonder which would have sent the more powerful message to Government - 120,000 people marching on the Dail, addressed by the pseudo-intellectual David Begg styling himself and ICTU as a modern day Hercules (who was ultimately deceived into killing himself!!!) cleaning out the "aegean [sic]" stables or 10,000 people descending on Newry every week for three months to spend a few quid.

Hopefully, it won't be too long before they get the message - the tailback into Newry has now reached almost pre-Christmas-like proportions.

Just when they're almost out, they drag themselves back in.

2009-02-18T07:21:00.000-08:00

I know this is the second time I've used a quote from the Godfather films, or in this case a paraphrase of a quote, but as Tom Hanks pointed out, the answers to all life's riddles can be found in the Godfather films.

Once again I find myself in dizzying disappointment with our elected representatives. I thought that after IL&P that the message was actually starting to get through that they need to govern in the national interest to restore confidence in the banks and slow our tumble into the economic abyss. I thought there were signs that the Government were prepared to make the tough decisions. I thought they realised that we know tough decisions have to be made; we expect them, now we just want them to get on and do it and get it over with. I thought they were ready to end the uncertainty.

Unfortunately I was wrong. The candle of decisiveness that briefly lit the leadership of the Government has flickered out. The Taoiseach will not name the 10 "Golden Circle" investors who benefitted from the 300 million Euro loans from Anglo. He should just get on and do it because evenutally he will be forced to one of two things:-

1) name them

or

2) confirm the names when they appear in the press and then justify the original refusal to name.

The names will leak out, my guess is that the weekend papers will have the names and will be prepared to publish them or at least drop very strong hints as to their identity.

In the mean time we're stuck with endless speculation and the Government playing off the back foot. Naming them now may even garner some political capital for the Taoiseach, but it will at least end yet another valueless distraction.

Until he does, I'm off to Paddy Power to see what the odds are on prospective runners in the "Golden Circle" - I've got to recoup my losses from the pension levy somehow.

Actually, maybe Ivan Yates' Celtic Bookmakers would be a better bet......

New Units

2009-02-16T04:25:00.001-08:00

Humourously, it has been said that the standard unit of measurement in the BBC News is "the Wales."

News items refer everything back to Wales - as in "An area the size of Wales has been etc......." or "The number of people affected is approximately equivalent to the population of Wales." If you're Welsh, it's probably all a bit tedious.

Likewise, it certainly used to be the case that the standard unit of measurement in public policy, expecially where cuts were concerned, was the number of teachers, Garda or nurses that could be employed for the money being spent, flittered away or cut. Now, since the advent of the scandalous decision not to implement HPV vaccination for the country's young girls, that has become the de facto unit of measurement when assessing government spending. Conveniently enough the annual cost of the programme was estimated at just under €10 million.

Writing this weekend's Sunday Tribune, Public Affairs Correspondent Ken Foxe has touched on a particular bug bear of mine - the Official Languages Act 2003. As pointed out in the article the Act makes it obligatory that all government publications must be available in both Irish and English. This estimated to have cost €6.2 million over the last 6 years but this is considered to be an underestimate.

I'd agree. In fact I would estimate that the cost of the Official Languages Act 2003 is way in excess of €100 million per year - that's not a typo, it's supposed to read 100. The figure of €6.2 million cited in the article relates to translation costs only. However, in producing any document, report etc, the most significant cost is type-setting and design. While you can share your design across a number of languages, the type-setting generally has to be re-done for each language variation, pretty much doubling the cost of publication.

In my own organisation we've had to steadily inflate our publications budget, even through the number (and quality) of publications has been actually declining. While inflation in type-setting costs goes up steadily, translation costs have spiralled, simply because they are few companies available to do business quality translation of documents.

So as I see it, the Offiical Languages Act 2003 is a tremendous waste of increasingly scarce resources. There is no one who speaks Irish who cannot transact business with the State through English (while the same cannot be said for other minority language groups in the country). Therfore, the Act is not fulfilling a business or a citizen need, but a cultural need, and as such adhering to its requirements should not be regarded as obligatory.

If government is about choice then as both a tax-payer and public servant I'd prefer to see the money spent on effective public health, rather than the publication of reports etc that will never be read no matter what language they are printed in.

Finally, while I am a father, I have no daughters and I'm not against the use of the Irish language. In fact, I've pushed and continue to push several initiatives in-house to see the language brought to life in our day-to-day workings, rather than on the occasional days when we publish something.

Beyond the Curve

2009-02-16T04:04:00.000-08:00

I've just finished reviewing and signing off on the Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) plans for my staff for 2009 and as always I've found the entire process to be a complete waste of time.

PMDS was trumpeted as a major plank in the modernisation agenda of the public services but it has been eviscerated to the point where if we didn't have to spend so much time on it, it would be a joke!

The main problem with PMDS, as I see it, is that the unions and staff associations have twisted the entire process to prevent their members being held to account for their performance - but I don't blame the unions, they are just doing their job and doing it well.

The fact is weak and ineffectual management refuses to stand firm and put in place the system that was intended to be put in. As is typical in the public services the conception is excellent, it's the implementation where the walls come crashing down.

PMDS is, of itself, a useful tool, but like any tool it's the person behind it who ultimately determines its effectiveness. Management who are more interested in going along to get along do neither their organisations, nor those who the organisations serve any favours. Services suffer; innovation declines; and high performing staff are de-motivated - after all, what's the point? There are no rewards for excelling and no sanctions for failing.

In my own situation, the PMDS system has been reduced to a farce. There are only two possible outcomes or ratings that can be awarded to staff - "meets expectations" or "exceeds expectations"!!! The "failed to meet expectations" was removed at the unions' insistance some time ago.

To compound the farcical nature of the process, just try and give someone a "meets expectations"!!! I've tried and been overruled regularly - the result is that on paper we have the best performing public service in the world (the vast majority of whom exceed expectations on an annual or bi-annual basis), which only adds to fantasy.

Finally, on the subject of PMDS - I wonder what was in Pat Neary's PMDS plan for 2008 and 2009?????? Considering the monies he's received, I've no doubt he must also have got an "exceeds expectations"!!! After all, I doubt anyone expected Anglo!

Senatus Populusque Hibernia

2009-02-13T03:42:00.000-08:00

Apparently, the letters SPQH (Senatus Populusque Hibernia) are carved on the City Hall. Usually when cities or countries take and modify the original SPQR of the Roman Republic it is to express civic pride or add to the gravity of the buildings they erect.

So what have the Romans ever done for us, then? Well, Monty Pyhton jokes aside they knew a thing or two about group pyschology, although they probably had a more elegant word to describe it.

One of the more rarely used but more brutal punishments they inflicted on their armies was "decimation." A unit that broke or fled the battlefield was assembled and the soldiers were divided into groups of 10, with each drawing lots. Whoever drew the short straw in this case was set upon by his 9 colleagues and clubbed to death. Such public punishments were intended to instill some degree of resolve in those left alive so the unit was not totally obliterated.

The unfairness of such punishments can be readily discerned, but perhaps so to can their necessity. Sometimes populations (and electorates) polarise on an issue and who you are can be defined by where you stand on a particular matter, such as the Civil War, divorce, abortion, and Roy Keane. In this vein, the defining issue is the bankers, or more particularly what should be done with them?

I am not one who believes they should be left alone. There should be resignations that should extend beyond the mere tokenism or relatively junior executives having their heads despatched by means of a golden sword into a platinum basket.

Examples need to be made or we condemn ourselves to a slow recovery and an inevitable decline at some point in the distant future.

Bring some fire, bring some wood.

2009-02-11T01:37:00.000-08:00

Recently press and media reports have adopted, as a fashion, the theme or line of argument that says the government "out-sourced decision-making to the social partners." The opposition have also ladled this criticism on the government, but it's unclear who is following who, media or politicians.

The outsourcing of decision-making is not a new phenomenon. Throughout the Celtic Tiger years, ministers of all parties routinely outsourced decision-making. Their mode of doing so involved the setting up of the "quango."

While it may be routine to set up organisations to deal with complicated or even controversial areas where the absence of political input would be desirable, the era of the Celtic Tiger saw it taken to stratospheric levels.

Inevitably delegation became abdication; after all why govern when you can set up an agency or an authority and get your mates on the board?

And so it was, governing and decision-making were outsourced to a proliferation of qunagos, agencies and authorities.

The funeral pyre for the Celtic Tiger is now being built with these quangos. Failed agencies (see the NCA and FSAI below) are being merged or subsumed into functioning or successful ones.

The 50 or so announced in the budget are a start (only 400 more to go!!) but the process seems set to be only a partial success.

The routine in Ireland has always been to create quangos that only operated within the silo of ministerial responsibility. The effect is that we have very few, if any, cross-cutting or cross-departmental agencies. This may make for easier management, but it does not promote good service. It also means that come the time for consolidation, agencies and organisations will be merged, not on the basis of need or service, but on the basis ministerial department. This itself will create an inertia against reform as ministers and civil servants resist the perceived erosion of their petty empires.

So in building the bonfire and merging agencies and authorities the government would be better advised to merge oganisations across departments and create genuinely citizen-centred services delivered by independent agencies. A start could be made with the NCA and FSAI - surely one good agency can be fashioned from the remnants of these two? Add to that a merger between the various broadcast and communications regulators (COMREG, BCI etc), the Environmental Protection Agency, the Health and Safety Authority and the Radiological Protection Institute; Sustainable Energy Ireland and the Commission for Energy Regulation; and the Commission for Aviation Regulation and the Irish Aviation Authority. That should just be the start.

The second phase should include the merging of local authorities (not counties!!!) and regionalisation of their services along with the regionalisation of the Vocational Education Committees, the enterprise boards and FAS.

The consolidation could also be used to introduce genuine reforms and efficiencies, allowing their roles to be properly thought out.

While a fully fledged phoenix may not emerge from the flames, the current approach only promises us a decent clutch of turkeys.

2009-02-10T02:28:00.000-08:00

Three Strikes and Your Out

2009-02-10T01:32:00.000-08:00

When I came to work in the public sector one of the many profound shocks to the system was administered when I was told, or rather it was suggested, that I join a union.

As a member of management I was entirely sure what union would have me, but it turned out there was one just for us, except it wasn't styled as a union but rather an "association" - the Association of Higher and Civil Public Servants (AHCPS)

The last time I joined a union it was the old Transport Union (ITGWU) now SIPTU and in the words of the Pete St John song I joined it because they said "me nose was brown."

Anyway, a member I became and a member I remained, dutifully paying my sub, receiving my magazine and attending the infrequent branch meetings. It was all very pleasant and you get the impression that come the revolution the AHCPS won't be vying for a seat in the politburo on the basis of being the stormtroopers of the popular liberation movement.

Despite the civilised and genteel nature of the union, it is now apparent that there is a whiff of militancy in the air, brought on by the pensions levy and general air that the public and civil service is having to pick up the taxi bill for the bankers driving us down the plughole. Sooner or later the question of a strike or some form of reaction will be raised.

On the basis that the time has now passed for sternly worded letters to the Irish Times, my inclination would be to go for the strike. This is especially surprising as I never saw myself huddled around a brazier shouting "scab" at passing workers on wintry mornings. However, if there is no reaction - no cost imposed - for the imposition of the levy then I believe that this will just invite the government to come back for another bite of our wage packets; we will come to be regarded as the soft touch.

If we have to suffer further paycuts to buoy up the economy, that's fine, but only after other groups have contributed. We have had our turn at being turned over, meekly allowing it to happen will only encourage further dips into our pockets while others remain untouched.

So as for a strike - I'm all for a nice short one. A day of action (when the weather is warmer), huddled around the cappucino machine shouting "biscotti" at no one in particular before getting on with the job.

The situation for my lower paid colleagues is completely different. While the levy may be an imposition for such as myself, it is proving a unbearable burden for people further down the payscales.

Already anecdotes are circulating detailing how some staff are seriously contemplating either giving up work or taking a career break because the levy now makes it more economical to take the kids out of childcare and stay at home. As you may guess, one of the more insidious effects of this measure is that it not only disproportionately affects the lower paid, but also women - so much for the minister of finance's efforts not to meddle with the incentive to work!!

In ripping away salaries and with it the incentive to work, it's arguable the government have created a stronger motivation for prolonged industrial action particularly by some sectors of the public service. The particular problem now is that many of these groups are key to functioning of their organisations and they possess the capacity to bring about a spring and summer of significant social and industrial unrest.

Ultimately the savings accrued from the levy may not be worth the cost imposed by those paying it.

The Three Doctors

2009-02-09T23:52:00.000-08:00

In China the story is told of three brothers who were doctors.

The first brother was so gifted he could spot diseases in the eyes people as the evil "humours" were forming. With a quite word he could change the person's spirit so the disease never developed. He was known within the village as a man of great healing.

The second brother was gifted enough to spot the first symptoms and on doing so he immediately told potential patients what changes they needed to make to their diets and their lifestyles to cure themselves of the disease and prevent it developing further. His reputation was known throughout the province.

The third brother dealt with disease by cutting, bleeding, the application of leeches and the administration of powerful potions. He could only recognise illness when people were terribly sick and racked with fever. His reputation as a healer was known throughout the empire and he served in the imperial court.

The question is asked - who was the better doctor?

In considering this parable it's worth wondering if there should be any concern over proposed merger of FSAI?

The FSAI is to be merged with the Irish Medicines Board and the Office of Tobacco Control - the first sparks in a proposed bonfire of the quangos.

Professor Pat Wall feels that the FSAI's brand should be allowed to remain, but I would argue that consumers would be better served by its quiet demise. The FSAI, as the linked article points out, was born out of the BSE crisis but it recently presided over the pork and bacon crisis.

It may be oft copied around Europe and beyond, but the fact remains that on its watch the largest crisis to afflict the Irish food industry since BSE occurred. That something like this could happen is bad enough, that it could originate from a single glitch in the system of controls intended to assure the safety of our food speaks volumes for the manner and quality of the FSAI's work.

Simply put, dioxins should not get into food and if they do it shouldn't require the obliteration of an industry to address the problem. Surely the job of the FSAI is to prevent incidents such as this? To excel at prevention rather than crisis interventions? And to spot the "evil humours" rather than rely on the amputation saw?

They were supposed to be the first brother, but ultimately they acted as the third brother. They are not good doctors.

Driving the Chevy to the Levy

2009-02-09T05:51:00.000-08:00

So the Pensions Levy? What's to be thought about that?

Well, first off I'd like to say that I suspect that I am no different to any other working person in this country in that I don't like seeing my disposable income eroded.

Second, I also think I'm like most clear thinking individuals in that I recognise that collectively were in a deep hole up to our necks in some fairly foul smelling toxic circumstances. I've yet to figure out if the hole is getting deeper or if more toxic doo-doo is being poured in on us - either way, it'll not be long until we're up to our ears in int.

I obviously don't like the levy (which is not to say I disagree with it) because it's unfair, pernicious and mean - three words that have come to characterise repeated government efforts to get some kind of grip on the deteriorating economy.

Yes, higher earners pay more than lower earners, but this veneer of progressiveness belies the reality. Higher earners tend to be older, have less debt and more disposable income. The levy may impact on their ability to save, but it will not cripple them financially.

Lower earners - especially in the clerical grades - have less disposable income and more debt and the levy will tip many over the edge. Putting money into their wallets and purses would have been a better move as they will go an spend it - taking money away from them achieves nothing. It creates the bizarre and unfair situation where some employees will be receiving annual pensions worth less than the levy they are paying.

But my main gripe about the levy is the lack of cohesiveness. If this was part of some grand plan to first stabilise the situation before initiating a recovery, it would be more palatabe. If it was conceived as part of an holistic response to the near total erosion of the public finances it would be better received. And if it was developed by intellects acknowledged for their brilliance it would engender more confidence.

But it fails on all counts.

It only serves to illustrate the lack of leadership, intelligence and competence of the country's political elite. In conception and execution the levy has failed - once again they've put in place a measure that will not raise the revenue it was intended to raise and will penalise those who can least afford to be penalised.

I suspect that if a request was put in to examine the policy papers prepared in support of this measure, there would be a lot material provided on fag packets and on the backs of envelopes.

Yes, there should be a levy, but it should kick in for salaries over €30k with a top band of 12.5% applying to the top earners (Principal Officer level and above). Tax relief should be available in relation to it, but the top rate of income tax needs to rise - to 49%. That would be more equitable and might even keep the smelly stuff below our chin for a while longer.

Recent Economic Indicators

2009-02-09T00:31:00.000-08:00

The country is definitely and completely screwed.

As many will allude to, the result achieved by the Irish rugby team at the weekend will hark back to a time when the country was becalmed in stagnant economic waters; we only get the results like that when the economy is on the receiving end of the equivalent of an 8 man All Black rolling maul!

Except, while we've achieved results such as that in the past, I certainly can't remember Ireland playing like that - it was like watching a green-shirted Munster. I should say at this time that I'm a Leinster supporter.

Neither can I remember Ireland playing like that for a full 80 minutes, from whistle to whistle. On Saturday I fully expected them to implode quicker than Anglo in the final 20 minutes. Then I thought it will happen in the final 10 before I was sure that they would concede that last try, but true to the other 79 minutes of rugby they played hard and conceeded nothing.

In economic terms then, the rugby should be scaring the bejaysus out of us.

But there is a more sinister indicator I encountered last week, and which some colleagues and friends have also noticed that confirms the perilous state the country finds itself in.

Ryanair are being nice to people.

Yes, they may be declaring losses and write-downs that would make your eyes water, but when Ryanair staff are being polite, friendly and helpful it's time to check the calendar and look for the hidden cameras.

Last week when travelling through Dublin Airport (surely the worst airport in Europe!) there was a problem with my boarding pass which Ryanair fixed without charging before asking "Is there anything else I can help you with today?" I have to admit it freaked me out, and my travelling companion.

If Ryanair feel they have to be nice to self-loading freight (passengers), then just how much trouble is the country in?

.....don't ever take sides with anyone against the Family again. Ever.

2009-02-02T02:13:00.000-08:00

The as always excellent Paul Cullen has been writing about the lamentable lack of effective consumer advocacy activities in the country. His report focuses in on two of the more prominent consumer groups - the Consumer Association of Ireland (CAI) and the National Consumer Agency (NCA).

The problems afflicting the CAI are the same ones that will forever mean there will never be a revolution in this this country - the split!

As Behan said the first item on the agenda of the first meeting of any Irish organisation is the split and so it is with the CAI, who have splintered into two different organisations with a breakaway membership setting up of http://www.valueireland.com/ with an altogether more activist agenda.

Meanwhile, as the CAI limps on, and the breakaway faction continues to forge a space for itself, the country's "official" consumer body - the NCA - looks headed for the oblivion of a merger with the Competition Authority.

Proper order too.

For far too long the NCA had a veritable ceasefire in place with too many perpetrators of Rip-Off Ireland; with it being increasingly apparent that the bigger targets were the less likely they were to draw the fire (never mind the ire) of the NCA.

Paul Cullen effectively summarises the problem:-

"On paper, consumer legislation is stronger than ever, but the NCA has been criticised for not going for the jugular where traders commit offences. Fitzgerald argues that it is more effective to get an undertaking from a trader to refrain from illegal activity, which will dissuade others, than to enter into legal proceedings which could take years."

And therein lay the problem. If someone is caught diddling consumers they should be properly sanctioned - brought before the courts, if necessary to answer for their behaviour. Instead, the NCA carried out the enforcement of equivalent of a parent giving "time out" to a rambunctious child, hoping the "punishment" of an undertaking provided by a business would be sufficient to deter future misdemeanours.

Quite frankly this unwillingness to confront illegal activity led to the perception of an Agency that was more lapdog, than watchdog; trying to be a friend to everyone and succeeding with no one.

Being an effective enforcing agency, providing deterrence and promoting the consumer interest requires an Agency that is more godfather than grandfather. The public spectacle of trial before a court may be the final option and may be distasteful, but it must be a realistic option if the enforcing agency is to present a credible threat of sanction to non-compliant businesses. In short, the Agency and its CEO need to be prepared to be not liked by some sections of society in order to their job.

The NCA seems either not to have been aware of that, had forgotten it or knew it but was unwilling to embrace and use the full range of powers granted to it, and now seems set to pay a price for that.

For once, in Ireland, the price seems about right.

Never waste a good crisis

2009-02-02T01:42:00.001-08:00

There is no doubt but we are living through a pivotal moment in the country's history. When we survive this - and we will surive it - it is inevitable that Ireland (and the world) will never be the same again......for a least a decade and a half!

But the turmoil throws up opportunities.

I think it is reasonable to assume that the vast majority of people accept that only change and reform that runs broad and deep will allow the country to move beyond survival to return to prosperity. With all the debate, indeed squabbling, that has gone on, the public are ripe for receiving and perhaps embracing change.

What change then? Surely now is the time for someone or some group to come forward and articulate a vision of Ireland in the mid-21st Century? We might not agree with it, but in launching the debate a great step forward will be taken to actually resolving a range of issues.

Moreover, while many of the problems we face now are economic, the opportunity to reform that has opened up is much broader than that. Economic reform, social change and political re-structuring could all be achieved in the current climate.

At the highest levels, we should be aiming to build an Irish society that is GENUINELY open, fair and rewarding. Where people are judged by their total contribution to the nation and not by their attributes, characters or connections. Where the measure of the person is who you are, not who you know.

So, as a start as to be made somewhere, here is what I would propose (in no particular order of priority):-

1. End chroneyism - and not just stop it, but roll it back. Given the position the country finds itself in, the best and brightest people should be in the key positions, not ministers mates. Ability should determine promotion to Minsterial rank, not geography. Those who have benefitted from the patronage of senior ministers and polticians and whose position is unmerited should be prevailed upon to step aside or down, with replacements nominated in the national, rather than the self interest.

2. Extend the sitting time of the Dail along with allocating more time to the opposition. The country needs to ramp up the vigour of the government and tougher and more prolonged over-sight could provide suitable motivation.

3. Introduce accountability - there is no accountability in Ireland. Rarely, is anyone fired nor do they resign when they fail. Ministers, public servants (at all grades) and others working the public interest need to be called to account for their activities, their achievements and their failures. Holding such people to account might make for greater focus on the public and national interest when decisions are being made.

4. Introduce proper publlic service reform - including voluntary redundancies. The fact is we have enough public servants and civil servants, but they are the wrong type in the wrong places. Public need, not union considerations, should dictate the structure, composition and deployment of the public services, therefore the artificial distinction between the the civil and public servants should end, and in paralell with a programme of voluntary redundancies there needs to be an ongoing process of reassignments and re-location.

Will this happen? Probably not. After all if there is one thing our politicians and the social partnership process has proved is that they will never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

A little idea....

2009-01-22T04:57:00.000-08:00

What about this for an idea? If you go shopping outside the state send the Ministers for Finance and Enterprise a postcard telling them where you spent your money and how much.

Maybe if they get enough postcards it will bring home to him the idea that what he is doing (or not doing) isn't helping.

The Big Snip

2009-01-22T04:23:00.000-08:00

The government seems to be gearing up for getting through significant pay cuts. What seems increasing likely is that public servants, especially the higher paid ones such as myself, will be asked to increase their pension contributions and take a pay cut with a possible cut in the working week.

I've somewhat mixed feelings about this; which is not to say I'm torn between welcoming it and despising it!

Increased pension contributions are fine with me as long as there are increased benefits offered or the same benefits can be accessed earlier. Second, I would not be happy paying into a fund ostensibly managed by the National Treasury Management Agency that is used to bail out Anglo and by extension the property developer friends of Fianna Fail - if they want to do that then they should at least re-establish the "tint" at Galway and give us a lunch out of it!!! That only seems fair as it is what the developers got for their cash.

The pay cut and the cut in the working week may not be the worst thing in the world. If pay is cut by 10% but the working week is cut by 20% (in essence by one day) then I wouldn't be too upset by that. I can take that time and spend it in a financially productive way that offsets completely the loss of wages.

But the main problem I have with this is the effect it will have. I suspect the only ones spending in the economy are public servants. This will curtail that severely. Already I know of couples who are planning to stagger their days "off" so they can reduce their childcare committments by 40%.

People will not just cut back on their discretionary spending, but also spending on essentials. One day less at work will see less spent on travel, transport, food and services, especially in town centres.

Spending will be relocated - already I'm making plans to do the vast majority of food shopping north of the border, and I know any major purchase will not be made in the Republic for a long time. And not just tangible goods. If I was in a position to get the house decorated tomorrow; or if I needed tiling done; or any such service I think I will be looking northwards to secure that service.

Finally, I think we're about to see the rise and re-emergence of a significant black economy as people are squeezed by falling income and increased taxation. It will be the 80s all over again, except for the dodgy haircuts.

In essence the government are creating an imperative for people to act and spend frugally, which would be no bad thing if we couldn't spend our money so readily outside the state.

The Big Fellow

2009-01-20T05:18:00.001-08:00

It is also important to not forget that today is 90th anniversary of the sitting of the first Dáil. The deputies of the current and 30th Dáil are meeting today in the Mansion House (where it all began) to commemorate that seminal event on the path to independence for the country.......and you've got to wonder what the representatives elected then would make of the goings on today.

Some of the more prominent members of that first Dáil Eireann included:-
Éamon de Valera;
Michael Collins;
W. T. Cosgrave;
Count Plunkett;
Eoin MacNeill;
Arthur Griffith;
Cathal Brugha;
Kevin O'Higgins; and,
Constance Markiewicz.

I should at this point lay my cards on the table and declare myself to be an admirer of Michael Collins. While the likes of "Dev" and Countess Markiewicz might have provided a lot of the political, social and intellectual drive behind the embryonic assembly, it's perhaps more interesting to consider what Collins and O'Higgins might have made of the current circumstances.

If some of the others were the conscience of the collected group then these were the "doers;" the organisers; the ones who could convert the ideals and aspirations of the elected representatives into meangingful activities. And I think they would look to our current crop of politicians with some despair.

Like him or loathe him, Collins was a clever and resourceful organiser. At the time of the first Dáil he was Minister for Finance, so there is a comparison that is naturally invited.

I don't for one minute believe that the country would not be where it was if Collins was in charge, but I would say that at least there would be a degree of energetic leadership evident and sense that there is at least a plan or a logic behind the actions being taken.

I think any action taken would be decisive, and that public and civil servants would be called to account. There would be no abdication from responsibility or outsourcing of the management of the economy to the bickering social partners. And, finally, I think there would be a lot of CEOs of banks worried at what might happen should nationalisation be forced upon them. It would be difficult to see the "Big Fellow" allowing their stewardship of failure to continue when the public purse was at stake.

Day of Days

2009-01-20T01:11:00.001-08:00

I'm sure everyone who is blogging right now has some take on the Barack Obama's inauguration. And gues what? I do too.

I think it is striking that both Brian Cowan and Barack Obama are almost the same age - Cowan being older by about a year. And there the similarity just about ends except for an association with County Offaly which in Obama's case is tenuous to say the least.

I actually think Obama will do a lot, will change a lot and will, eventually, usher in a new time of modest but sustainable prosperity. I also think he will be bad for Ireland.

Whatever his tax plans and there affect on US companies operating here, people are going to look to Obama and then compare to them to their own national leaders and inevitably the latter will not benefit from such a comparison.

The Obama administration is about to make intellect cool; it is about to make clever socially acceptable; and it will make creativity the new must-have. All things, it must be said, our politicians lack. Quite frankly their unwillingness (I'm sure they have the ability) to lead and their lack of vision will now be brought into stark relief which, if anything, will lead to even greater dissatisfaction with the political class in the country.

The Obama "effect" may well be felt strongest in the US, but the ripples may yet resonate out to leaders around the world. As of 5-00pm today they will all have to up their game.

Speaking of Hollywood

2009-01-14T01:11:00.000-08:00

......I was near there last week, except it was the Hollywood in County Down, rather than on the west coast of the US!!

I went shopping in Belfast and Newry - desperately unpatriotic I know but it did set me thinking.

As an aside I'd also say that the retail experience in the North is much more positive than I've had cause to experience around Dublin. Everyone knows about the prices, but in terms of customer service the experience was pretty much universally more pleasant. I assume that the people who work in retailing have quickly realised that people are heading north for the prices, but that the current differential in exchange rates is likely only temporary so they need to provide something deeper if they are to encourage return visits once the respective currencies begin to converge.

It certainly worked for me! The sense that your custom was valued, even when purchases were relatively modest, does generate an amount of positive reinforcement that will have me back up there again when next I need to re-stock.

Anyway, to return to the provocation that set me thinking on the drive back. Before Christmas, the Minister for Finance sounded a patriotic call to shop in the South and for us not to pay taxes to HM Treasury. Even though I thought it sounded a bit twee, the thought of my money being spent for the betterment of some other country's citizens did jar with me so I resisted the temptation and confined my spending to the 26 counties.

However, sometimes patriotism must give way to pragmatism and as is usual when I came to buy my annual wardrobe of clothes for the year ahead I decided to hit the M1. The decision was not taken lightly but I figure with talk of pay cuts, possible redundancies etc that money must be saved or if it must be spent, then it should be spent prudently; spending it up north meant getting what I needed for substantially less.

It did make me wonder though, that if, as a generally reluctant shopper I decided to head north what would that say about the greater proportion of the population who I perceive to be more ardent shoppers than I? Which again made we wonder if a rhetoric mired in cutbacks, savings and redundancies is really appropriate in the current debate?

For me, they (the polticians) need to change the language they are using, at least while the North is so near and the difference in currencies is so narrow!

Does Hollywood Have an Answer?

2009-01-12T00:58:00.000-08:00

They say that Hollywood films contain the answers to most, if not all of life's problems.

In the film Gladiator, Russell Crowe as the redeemed general stands in the Roman Coliseum with a group of fellow condemned combatants, all of whom are strangers to one another, and tells them that whatever they are to face, they stand a better chance of surviving if they work together.

Similarly, in Apollo 13, the crew faced with a life threatening emergency are prevented from destructively arguing about who is to blame by their calm commander Jim Lovell (played by Tom Hanks) who points out that they'll still be faced with the same problems at the end of the argument.

The message from Hollywood is clear, we can either work together and give ourselves the best chance of surviving the economic calamity facing the country or we can argue amongst ourselves while the country unravels.

In that context, the current rhetoric emanating from the various social partners is disappointing. The fact is that the country faces the most difficult challenges, and while it is true that these problems were not caused by public sector workers, they will still impact on public sector workers, their families and friends nonetheless. Point scoring and winning the argument will not change the fundamental truth that deep and wide ranging changes are needed. The current union arguments regarding the unfairness of those who did not cause the problems being asked to shoulder some of the burden of the solution are misguided - it is the equivalent of being in a lifeboat and refusing to row because you didn't drive the ship into the ice-berg!

I'm also not entirely sure that the employers get the whole idea of being in this together. Is baying for 20% cuts the right answer? Surely at the moment the only significant group doing any spending is the public servants because they are least lacking in confidence that they will their jobs in the next twelve months. Demanding severe cuts in salary and jobs drives people to curtail their spending or perhaps even worse, they may be inclined to spend outside the country.

Finally the government. I'm not entirely sure what's going on - whether the apparent divergence in opinion between the minister for finance and the Taoiseach is a sophisticated "good cop / bad cop" strategy designed to bring everyone to their senses, or whether it is symptomatic of an inability to provide coherent government and leadership in a time of national crisis. I hope it's the former, but I suspect it's the latter.

2009-01-07T08:39:00.000-08:00

Apparently bloggers blog, and if you're not blogging you're not a blogger - a self-evident truth but one I failed to observe in the my efforts to blog.

So after Christmas and New Year it's back to blogging although nothing it seems has changed since last I wrote. Fiscally and economically the country is in worse shape than it was last summer, but I don't believe our fate is terminal.

Whether by accident or design the pubilc and the public service are having their expectations managed in such a way that we're prepared for the medicine.

Talking about redundancies, pay cuts and savings means that when extended pay pauses, no redundancies and no growth in spending are proposed the collective hand of the government will likely be snapped off.

Whatever the arguments of the unions, the national pay agreement is clearly unsustainable for any except the lowest paid. While anyone above the median in terms of income should not be too upset by an extended (18 month pay pause), the lower paid should still receive their increases.

My predictions are that an extended pay pause, no compulsory redundancies and significant savings will be the order of the day when the unions and the government rise in agreement from their next round of talks.

I'm reliably mis-informed

2008-07-09T06:17:00.000-07:00

Why is it that every time a Minister is called upon to answer a difficult question (and sometimes a not so difficult question) they inevitably preface their answer with "My officials tell me....."

Brian Lenihan, Minister Finance, I've noticed is particularly fond of it - or maybe that's only because he's a bit more visible at the moment as financial engines on the ship of state crunch and grind to halt and we sit becalmed watching the iceberg of recssion loom towards us!

First up, Brian - they are not "your officials" - unless you've taken to keeping a few as pets (I certainly know a few lap dogs you can have), they are the public's, the citzenry's or the community's officials - that's who they are supposed to work for.

I'm sure prefacing easy answers to difficult questions in this way is a device intended to create wiggle room so when the ice berg and the ship collide, the aforementioned officials can be quickly blamed and forced up on deck to start shovelling ice - or something not quite so clean and odourless - as penance for failing their master.

Not a good idea, Brian. First and foremost, officials such as those referred to are masters at covering their arses. If they feel they are at risk they'll not only have a plan "B" lined up, but also Plans "C," "D," "E," and "F" - and none of them will involve anyone except the Minister grabbing a shovel as they run up on deck.

Officials need to be able to feel they can give honest, candid advice - create an environment that suggests otherwise and they will create their own wiggle room. And when the time comes, they'll be the ones in the lifeboat saluting the captain standing on the bridge as his reputation slips inevitably into the sea of political anonymity..........

Till Pay Freezes Over

2008-07-09T05:47:00.000-07:00

With the economy heading south faster than a huskey heading to the South Pole, the inevitable questions as to what to cut; what to trim; and what to forego are raised.

One specific point relates to public sector pay.

Public sector pay represents about €17 billion of government expenditure, and I don't mind admitting that as a public servant I consider myself extremely well paid for the work I do, especially when other factors such as pensions, holidays and job security are added to the mix.

But not all my colleagues in the public sector are as well paid or as well looked after.

So in response to the question of to freeze or not to freeze public sector pay - I'm all for it.........

.......and dead set against it (in the best traditions of the public servant).

To explain - the Department of Finance obviously needs to act and act quickly before we spend ourselves out of economic existence, so a €17 billion outgoing will have them furiously sharpening the knives and salivating at the thought of the amount fat that can be excised from that particular calf.

But that €17 billion is also a huge input into the economy and used to fund a lot of consumption that drives other sectors in the economy so trimming it too judiciously, and even preventing it from growing may only exacerbate a worsening situation.

My advice would be a flat rate increase - everyone in the public sector gets €1000 euro increase in 2008, regardless of grade, position or salary. Total cost would be about €260 million or an increase in public sector pay of about 1.5% - about a third of the forecast rate of inflation. Or even better - no increase for anyone at Assistant Principal and above, and give everyone else €1500 extra per year!

Also, this rewards the lower paid in the public sector (who quite often do the most valuable work) and feeds additional and genuine spending power into areas and communities where it will do most good (somehow I doubt there are many hospital porters living in Foxrock).

For the better paid (and I include myself in that bracket) - we won't exactly starve, now will we.

As a post script - a flat rate €1000 increase for me would work out at about a 1.25% pay increase; for a Garda it would be about 2%; for a teacher in a primary school about 2.5%; and for someone on the average industrial wage it would be about 3%. For the lowest paid workers it would be about 4.5%

Where do we get legislation???

2008-06-25T06:02:00.000-07:00

Where do we get legislation?

It seems the Mexican (Dermot Ahern, TD from just south of the border), feels that as a soveriegn parliament the Dail should be above "cogging" from other jurisdictions; that only original ideas for legislation should pass muster on Kildare Street.

What tripe!!!

A good idea, is a good idea whether it starts out in Dail Eireann or the local county council. Employing Mexican logic then, the only crimes one could be guilty of in Ireland would be failing to pay for your plastic bags and smoking in a pub - most everything else was either left to us when the British pulled out, or handed to us from Europe!

It's no wonder the Mexican was compared to Bart Simpson - which is, again, more tripe and patently unfair.

One is a bumbling, intellectually challenged but ultimately harmless individual among a collection of weird and wonderful characters; the other is a yellow cartoon character.

Not-so-broad Broadband

2008-06-25T05:41:00.000-07:00

According to Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan, Ireland will have ubiquitous" broadband coverage by the end of next year and will enjoy broadband speeds that will be among the highest in Europe by 2012. (See "Strategy aims for total broadband coverage in State")

Cool!! Long overdue and very welcome. Within the OECD the country's position is shameful and hardly matches the rhetoric about basing the economy on knowledge.

Just one problem, Eamon - who is going to pay for it??

While the Gormless one (as opposed to the Gormley one, who is Minister for the Environment) is long on aspiration, he comes up well short on detail. A lengthy consultation process is to follow - why?

Anyone who knows anything about these things knows it's a good idea so why didn't we see the Minister out laying the symbolic first metre of cable instead of canting a memo around that promises nothing but ultimate disappointment?

The real tragedy is that broadband connectivity is not treated nearly as seriously as it should be for a variety of reasons.

A fast, robust and easily accessible to all broadband network is a critical strategic infra-structure asset of national importance and should be treated as such. It is as important as the inter-urban motorway network, the rail network and other transport related facilities; and only marginally less important than the education and health infra-structure.

The simple reasons as to why it is not treated seriously are because too many (by no means all) politicians think it's main use is for faster access to online poker and porn, not linking minds.

Secondly, despite the porn, it's not sexy enough. When Joe FitzPockets TD for Ballystrokes turns up for the opening of a road there's a nice bit of polished granite bearing out the significance of the event left for all to see, along with his name engraved in it; with a broadband network there's no polished granite despite the inevitable bun fight that accompanies its commissioning - with broadband the kudos is virtual.

Isn't democracy a pain in the arse.......

2008-06-20T05:56:00.000-07:00

The rush to execute the biggest gaffe in the embryonic tenure of Brian Cowan as Taoiseach continues apace.

If it's not Mary Coughlan mixing up how many EU Commissioners we did / don't have, there's always (proper) Charlie McCreevy to show just how incapable we've become by admitting to not reading the proposed EU Reform Treaty, also known as the Lisbon Treaty.

That's even before we get to the swearing in the Dail - which isn't really a gaffe and probably did more for "Don Biffo's" credibility than anything. None of this "we're looking into it" or commissioning of studies!! Big Brian was straight in, delegating the matter to his enforcer, the Big Wan from Donegal (henceforth known as "Mary Coughleone!!")- and one suspect her language was even less parliamentary than the Don's away from the microphones in the Dail chamber!!!

Now, hot on the heels of McGreevy and Coughlan coming first in second in the shoot-yourself-in-the-foot competition is the Minister for Justice (Dermot Ahern) who chose a press conference over attending the Dail - yes, why submit to the parliamentary process when there it's easier to shaft the opposition at a media scrum across the road!

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/minnows-make-a-splash-while-cowens-off-frying-bigger-fish-1415970.html

You would've thought such petty politicking would be beneath a minister of the government, but apparently not, which bears directly on one of my pet theories as to why things get so bad in the public and civil services - quite simply we're engorged with politicians and starved of leaders.

Anyway, maybe I'm wrong, but I can't recall dithering Bertie's administrations racking up so many fumbles in so short a period of time. Don Biffo needs to get a grip before he ends up making the Greens look like a well oiled party-political machine!!

As for Minister Ahern - what next for "Dermo the Mexican"??? Legislation outlawing the Dail?? At least it would prevent further diary clashes for him.

Where I work

2008-06-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

So, a little bit about where I work.

I work in government agency, outside the civil service and in the outer reaches of the public service - bit like being on Pluto, but with worse weather.

Civil servants (who work in central government departments and ministries) can be somewhat condescending to mere public servants and the former are probably more hung up on the difference than the latter, while the public don't really care as long as the queue moves quickly and they get what they want.

So "my" agency? - pretty big, very bureaucratic and would be deadly efficient if it wasn't for people wanting things from us. The system would work so much better if we didn't have clients, customers, citizens, service users, consumers MOPs (members of the public), or whatever it is people who need our help are called this week.

As I said, pretty big - about 450 staff, spread between a couple of buildings and due to decentralise "soon" - and have been due to decentralise "soon" for about 3 years. In the system of time measurements I'm not sure how many "imminently's" go into a "soon," but I'd imagine it's a "few" give or take the odd one.

By and large everyone who works here is a happy soul, and enjoys a respectable level of job satisfaction, and provides a good service to nearly everyone, nearly all of the time, and an exceptional service to most, most of the time - despite the best efforts of our senior management team (more of that anon.).

I head up a team of about 4 people (depending on who is in on any particular day!) and they each have teams responsible to them - in total, my section is home to about 40 people and 1 goldfish (the imaginatively named "Goldie"). As may become apparent as this blog grows and I add some stories, Goldie is quite probably the most sensible one around the office.

My immediate colleagues are all fine, hardworking and reliable types who have been known to share my despair more at what doesn't happen than what does, but they are much better at laughing it off than I am - hence the blog!

Any questions about where I work, feel free to post!

Stamp Out Management Speak

2008-06-17T03:52:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's the crazy amount of consultants that the public service finds itself awash with, but management speak is alive and well, and permeating most aspects of our operations.

The fightback, however, begins:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7453584.stm

Lucy Kellaway's article on the Beeb's site garnered some reaction to her failed campaign to rid the English language of the phrase "going forward." As many point out, what's wrong with "making progress" etc.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7457287.stm

My own pet hates - although these would not be management speak per se - are:-

irregardless
supposably
misunderestimate

In management speak terms being asked to

"horizon scan," (as Johnny Depp said - "Bring me that horizon!!");
"forward plan" (can you backward plan?); or,
"retro-engage"

leave me bewildered!

So who am I..........

2008-06-17T03:40:00.000-07:00

.......I'm a dedicated and conscientous public servant working in an agency of the Irish Government.

I'm proud to be a public servant and it was a deliberate choice for me to join and build a career serving the citizens of Ireland and the visitors to our shores.

Why "gruntled"?

Gruntled is an old medieval terms meaning "grumbling" - this is my outlet for grumbling!!

Apart from being a public servant I'm also a citizen and consumer of public and governmental services, and what I see sometimes gruntles me, for example poor service, avoidable waste, bad management and neglectful organisations.

Equally, when the public service comes in for unjust criticism, that can be a source of gruntling. The public service is by no means perfect, but being such a big target doesn't mean it should be the subject of potshots from organisations who know better but are just out for cheap publicity.

My objective is express my gruntles in a way that is sometimes witty, sometimes informative, maybe even cynical and always with clarity and brevity. I hope you enjoy reading them.