MINISTER FOR the Environment John Gormley called for the end of demarcation in the civil and public service.

“We need to seriously examine how we employ people and the type of job they can do effectively,’’ he said. “I believe that type of strict demarcation belongs to another era.’’ Mr Gormley said there were 30,000 civil servants and 300,000 public servants.

“I do not see why people in the public service, working in the environmental section of a local authority, cannot come to my department. That does not make any sense to me.’’

He said that since 1999, the Heritage Council, under the aegis of his department, had developed a partnership programme with local authorities to facilitate the employment of heritage officers. Twenty-eight local authorities employed them. Heritage officers could make a major contribution in promoting tourism activities in the local authority area.

While overall staffing levels in the local authority sector were to be reduced significantly by the end of next year, he had made it clear that it was very important to keep in place heritage and conservation officers because he considered the job they did was vital.

Fine Gael spokesman Phil Hogan said it was the type of work which staff surplus to requirement in sections of local authorities could do. He urged the Minister to issue a circular to local authorities to appoint heritage officers and deal with relevant issues within their resources and existing staff. A retraining programme should be established, he said.