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IT HAS taken several years and a collapse in Exchequer funding for the Government to confront the issue of public service reform. We should not be surprised. Evasion of responsibility and an unwillingness to take tough decisions has been the hallmark of recent Fianna Fáil-led governments.

After a great deal of prevarication, the then-taoiseach Bertie Ahern invited the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to conduct an inquiry into public service reform in January, 2007. But he left the job of implementing change to his successor Brian Cowen. Some details of how that will be managed will be announced today.