Madam, - The public sector is in need of reform to deliver better service on tighter budgets and reduced staffing.
Our politicians are themselves public-sector employees. They are well paid and pensioned by the taxpayer, are an essential part of the public sector and are ultimately responsible for its operation. At a time of recession, when necessary cutbacks will be borne by ordinary people, our politicians need to reform their own operations.
• Does Ireland need to have the best-paid prime minister in Europe? While the 10 per cent pay cut is a welcome signal, we need to bring pay rates into line with those in other small countries.
• Comparable countries such as New Zealand and Denmark manage quite well with one house of parliament; each has long since dispensed with its upper house, to no ill effect. Why not do likewise here? The Seanad is largely for retiring or aspiring TDs.
• It is simply beyond belief that this country needs 20 junior ministers. At a time of national crisis their number could easily be reduced, so that cutbacks are seen to be shared by our politicians.
• Ireland has a high number of national representatives relative to its population. The Constitution allows for far lower Dáil numbers, but our politicians opt for the highest. By international standards they have very long holidays, short parliamentary working hours and devote inordinate attention to personal constituency work. A typical outcome is that after over 30 years of EU roads funding, our national roads system is still unfinished. Each year, the political system ensures that funding is scattered across constituencies, rather than focused on key routes of national importance and maximum return.
• After the Lisbon Treaty referendum debacle, we have now lost goodwill in Europe. Most councillors, senators and TDs failed to campaign actively in favour and the majority still offer no public leadership on this issue at a critical time when we need European allies.
• Next year local elections are due to 114 separate local councils based on a 19th-century design. Given that these bodies carry out the most limited range of functions in Europe, a fifth of that number would easily suffice - and would deliver services more efficiently with staff and cost savings. Indeed, a plethora of other local agencies could easily be combined with such a reformed and stronger local government. The next local elections should go ahead on such a basis.
• We have one of the lowest European rates for women representatives at national and local level. All public funding should be withdrawn from parties which fail to nominate women for at least 40 per cent of candidatures at the next local and European elections. Decisive steps like this have worked in other countries.
We have many committed politicians. But any talk of public sector reform which fails to encompass our political public servants is entirely futile. They must be seen to accept reform in the national interest. Straitened economic times present an opportunity for new ideas and long overdue change. - Yours, etc,