Sir, – I refer to John A Kehoe’s letter of January 5th, 2013. Unfortunately, the letter paints an entirely inaccurate picture of our public service.
The CSO National Employment Survey 2009 and 2010 Supplementary Analysis shows that 37.8 per cent of public sector employees had a third-level degree or higher qualification compared with 22.5 per cent in the private sector.
In relation to the principal officer grade, all promotions are by way of a competitive merit-based process. The Public Appointments Service researched the educational standards of management grades within the Civil Service and it found the following: over 40 per cent of principal officers have a primary degree; a further 35 per cent of principal officers have a master’s degree; fewer than than 10 per cent of principal officers cite the Leaving Certificate as their highest educational qualification.
The report also showed that 50 per cent entered the Civil Service with their highest qualification at Leaving Certificate level. The last statistic clearly shows that Civil Service managers upskill themselves throughout their career and are committed to continuous professional development. – Yours, etc,