TOURIST INFORMATION offices around the country are to be rationalised, Government departments are to reduce the number of buildings they use and the Passport Office is to look at introducing a new appointment system for the public, under proposed new public service reforms.
The moves form part of new proposals put forward by management in the Civil Service and State agencies under the terms of the Croke Park agreement.
The new “action plan” for the Civil Service and State agencies says that although there have been substantial reforms in both areas in the past, “change must now be pursued more urgently and directly”.
The plan includes a number of provisions such as the review of allowances and premium payments for staff, the examination of existing sick leave arrangements and the rationalisation of 48 State bodies, which were announced by the Government before Christmas.
It also says there will be significant reconfiguration among departments and agencies.
It says Fáilte Ireland will “rationalise its tourist information office requirements in 2012 and over the lifetime of the agreement”, which runs to 2014.
A spokesman for Fáilte Ireland said last night it was examining its tourist information network in the context of staffing and resource levels available with a view to providing the best service. Fáilte Ireland did not indicate the number of local tourist offices that could close.
The plan says the Department of Transport and Tourism will in future only occupy two offices in Dublin while the Department of Justice will also “consolidate its buildings network”. It says that the Courts Service will rationalise the number of its offices while the Revenue Commissioners will “continue to review smaller offices to ensure that less efficient operations are integrated into larger centres”.
The plan also says that Government departments, offices and agencies would review opening hours and working arrangements.
It says the Department of Foreign Affairs will introduce a pilot programme for extending the opening hours of the Passport Office and will also look at putting in place a new appointment system. The Department of Social Protection is also to look at extending opening hours at its local offices.
For staff in the Civil Service, the plan says there will be a review of the existing grading structure while the scope for reducing the number of management grades would also be assessed.
The plan proposes that from the end of August all staff paid on a weekly basis would move to a fortnightly payment system. From February of next year all those paid on a fortnightly basis will move to monthly salary payments.
Sources close to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform said last night that the plan was still under consideration by the Croke Park Implementation Body which would deliberate further on it at a meeting at the end of the month.
