The Government's unveiled a reform of the civil service that will include measures that make it easier to sack poorly performing workers.
The three-year plan will manage the service as a unified entity – rather than the current practice of sixteen separate Government Departments.
In the first 200 days, a new accountability board will be established chaired by the Taoiseach, a performance review for Secretaries General will take place – and recruitment will take place for the first time since before the economic crisis.
Bonus or performance related pay arrangements are ruled out for the 36,000 staff, as is a recommendation for the appointment of a head of the civil service.
Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Brendan Howlin says under performance will be dealt with.
There will be a common training programme across the civil service so that people who are given tasks that are clear will be given the supports and the skills to achieve those tasks while a measurement system will be put in place to ensure that they do it.
Minister Howlin says if they don’t then there will be consequences – it might be simply redeployment or better training but it could ultimately be letting them go.
