The secretary-general of the Department of Finance has warned against complacency in the modernising of the public service.

Speaking at a conference organised by law firm Mason, Hayes + Curran, Eddie Sullivan said that the momentum of modernisation in the public service needed to be maintained in order for it to keep pace with Irish society and the economy.

He said that a strategic approach to policies underpinning workforce planning, such as recruitment, promotion, transfers and redeployment of staff, needed to be developed in order to bring about a more effective use of resources.

The first open competition for principal posts in the civil service, which is currently under way, would strengthen the skills in the sector and would mean that it was less closed off than in the past, Mr Sullivan said.

"Having grown up in the civil service, I wouldn't underestimate the impact this has had," he said.

Developing a more performance-oriented culture in the civil service from entry to retirement was a central part of human resources management, he added.

Also speaking at the Post-Celtic Tiger Ireland conference, the director-general of the employers' group Ibec, Turlough O'Sullivan, lambasted the Republic's record on infrastructure.

"It's not as if the money isn't there. It's just a case of doing it. If you look at any league table, Ireland is lagging behind on infrastructure," he said.

Under the National Development Plan 2007-2013, €55 billion has been set aside for investment in economic infrastructure, while €25 billion has been committed to human capital, including investment in education, training and upskilling.