Fine Gael will drive fundamental reforms in the public service to end what it described as its “tolerance of failure”, party deputy leader Richard Bruton said today.
He also claimed that the current system of running the public service was corrupted by budgetary practices that were not fit for a corner shop.
Mr Bruton said that if elected to government, Fine Gael would issue “clear riding instructions” to the public service to effect radical reforms.
“We will back ambitious managers who are crying out for change. We shall end the tolerance of failure by Ministers or public service managers.
“We shall introduce accountability with consequences, naming and shaming under-performance, and requiring managers to shape up or ship out,” he said.
Mr Bruton unveiled the policy at a seminar at the UCD Business School today. His audience included senior public service officials.
Outlining the thinking behind the policy, Mr Bruton said that the “tragedy” of the public service was that talented and committed people were left trapped in a system that failed them.
He said that Fine Gael would implement changes that would promote excellence. He said the Government would needs to change its status to become “buyers” on behalf of the people.
He said this would make a difference by putting the onus on ministers to spend only what the country can afford and would also give powers to force resignations of under-performing managers and to close down project that delivered poor results.
Mr Bruton said that a shift was also needed in the political culture. He said that at present the Government tolerated failure and did not confront problems. He also said there was a culture “where powerful interests can shelter from scrutiny and change”.
Mr Bruton said that such changes would present huge challenges, with systems designed to move staff to areas of greatest need; mechanisms for dealing with people who under-perform; and new requirements on every single unit of the public service to let the public know how they are each performing.
“We have a choice in next week’s Budget. We can travel the familiar route adopted in bad times of ‘slash and burn’ leaving the bureaucracy intact," said Mr Bruton.
“Alternatively we can use the crises to embrace the need for radical reform."