Following two public service reform plans in 2011-2013 and 2014-2016, both implemented in a challenging economic context and reviewed by the OECD in July 2017, the Irish government continues its efforts to modernise the public service.

An initial public consultation was conducted by the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. This consultation was held between 13 July and 4 September 2017.

It gave citizens and public servants a chance to give their views on the new action plan that the government had prepared. This action plan has the following three pillars:

• delivering for the public

• innovating for the future

• developing the civil service's workers and its organisations

The consultation, officially launched by the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, mobilised all government departments.

In addition to gathering proposals online, this consultation involved workshop sessions attended by all public service sectors, along with researchers and experts representing civil society.

The following three values emerged from the contributions:

• The public service's main role is to serve the public, not a specific government, minister or governmental department.

• When opting for more modern, more efficient methods of delivering public services, no segment of society should be left aside.

• a professional public service, which is both skilled and well managed, is crucial to delivering services to the public.

1,029 contributions from public-sector employees (out of a total of 307,000 employees¹) were received and examined. They were similar to the contributions from the general public, and corresponded to the three values listed above.

Consultation responses were used to enhance the action plan. A new version of this plan is in the process of being finalised, and will be unveiled by the government soon.


¹ Total public-sector workers including career and non-career civil servants, in both the Civil Service (i.e. the staff of government departments, national agencies and jurisdictions) and the Public Service (other public-sector jobs, including the defence, education, justice and health sectors). Total staff in 2017.