Public-private divide 'worst since Civil War'

THE DIVIDE between the public and private sectors is the biggest in the State since the Civil War, according to Siptu general…

THE DIVIDE between the public and private sectors is the biggest in the State since the Civil War, according to Siptu general president Jack O’Connor.

Mr O’Connor was speaking at a debate at the National College of Ireland yesterday, opposing the motion that “This house believes that Ireland can no longer afford a bloated and inefficient public sector”.

Mr O’Connor said the motion was presented “in such pejorative terms” that he could not let it go unchallenged at a time “when the Irish people are afflicted by the consequences of a few at the top of the golden circle . . . while the Government who reflected their interests looked the other way”.

He said that, in the face of the greatest economic collapse in the history of the State, we cannot afford to engage in the “continuous vilification and demonisation” of the public service and the trade union movement.

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He said that was a policy “which is based on divide and rule and which has divided our society more than any other single development since the Civil War. We can’t afford to let one more minute pass before we commence the process of healing the divisions that have been created,” he said.

In proposing the motion, Mark Fielding, the chief executive of ISME, said a strong public sector was an essential part of the economy but it had to be cost effective.

“The fact of the matter is that the public sector has not delivered in terms of efficiencies, quality, performance and value for money relative to its increased size over the last number of years,” he said.

“Years of ignoring accountability, efficiency and value for money in the public sector has led to a culture of waste and crisis management. It has also led to a statutory entitlement attitude to taxpayers’ money among civil servants and public sector workers. The private sector cannot be expected to pay for public sector pay growth through increased taxation, leading to a loss of private sector jobs and private sector businesses,” Mr Fielding added.

Other speakers proposing the debate were chief economist of KBC Bank Austin Hughes, and economist and Irish Timescolumnist Pat McArdle, while Labour TD Ruairí Quinn and general secretary of the Civil Public and Services Union Blair Horan opposed the motion.

The debate, which was sponsored by The Irish Timesand Newstalk 106-108fm, was chaired by broadcaster Karen Coleman. The debate was declared a draw, with even support for both sides.