NO STATE agency will necessarily exist indefinitely in its current form, Minister of State at the Department of Finance Martin Mansergh has said.
In an address yesterday, he said that the ongoing relevance of State agencies should continually be assessed by examining their goals and social and political relevance.
Dr Mansergh also said he would be highly critical of the notion that “at the top end of the public sector we have to try and somehow keep pace with all the incentives, bonuses and remuneration packages in the private sector that have been, for instance, a source of scandal worldwide in the recent financial and banking debacles”.
He added: “It is high time we reinstated and respected the traditional values of public service.”
He said the Government’s rationalisation plans for State agencies, which involves cutting the number by 41, was “a complex and sensitive exercise” and would be discussed with trade unions.
