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REFORM OF the public service was made a priority by Brian Cowen when he became Taoiseach a little more than a year ago. Now, following months of negotiation with trade unions in extremely difficult economic circumstances, there is hope that progress can be made. Key accommodations will have to be reached before the end of this month. At stake is whether restructuring of the public service can take place without disruption and in an orderly fashion.

Talks on a new social partnership deal are providing a framework for change. Measures to protect and to create employment in the private sector, along with pension protection initiatives, are being offered by Government in return for commitments on public sector reform. Strong resistance to the introduction of change and the reallocation of staff has been so pronounced within the health services that talks collapsed earlier this week. The HSE suspended its voluntary redundancy programme because trade unions objected to the necessary redeployment of remaining staff. Similar difficulties may emerge in the civil service where 3,500 employees have applied for early retirement.