CIVIL SERVICE trade union leaders have given a qualified welcome to the Public Service Management Bill. However, the Association of Higher Civil Servants has expressed concerns about the practical implications for its members, who are principal officers and assistant principal officers. It is referring the legislation to its lawyers for advice.
Mr Sean O Riordain, general secretary of the AHCS, said the broad thrust of the Bill to reform the Civil Service and make it more accountable was something his union had been advocating. But it left the relationship of ministers to civil servants unclear.
The Bill seemed to be saying that ministers would be responsible for policy and the provision of resources, while the new secretary-generals of departments would effectively be responsible for everything else, including the drawing up of a strategy statement. "The question is how people at our level interface with the minister", he said.
The national secretary of IMPACT, Mr Paddy Keating, who represents professional and technical grades, said he welcomed any measures to improve services to the public. "We also welcome the fact that the Bill gives a legal clarification of the respective roles of ministers and senior civil servants for the first time".
He added that his union was confident that it could "protect the interests and job security of individual civil servants in negotiations with the Government on the implementation of the new Bill and any proposed amendments to the 1956 Civil Service Regulation Act".
The general secretary of the Public Service Executive Union, Mr Dan Murphy, who represents executive officer grades, also welcomed the Bill. "There is consensus that there should be a concentration on improving the quality of service to the public", he said.