THE GOVERNMENT has approved a major shake-up in the commission that appoints senior civil servants to make sure it is no longer a “closed shop” for public sector managers.
The Cabinet has approved proposals brought by Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan to increase the number of private sector representatives on the Top Level Appointments Commission from one out of six to four out of eight.
In addition, the chair of the commission will no longer be a secretary general, but will be a person chosen from outside the Civil Service.
Mr Ryan presented the memo proposing the changes to Cabinet colleagues at the Government meeting in Farmleigh last week. The Cabinet approved the far-reaching changes, which were strongly opposed by civil servants.
The Minister told The Irish Timesthis weekend that this policy was an important Green element of the revised programme for government and would allow the best qualified people from inside and outside the public sector to apply for key positions.
“Our senior civil servants should be our brightest and best. There is a perception that the Civil Service is a ‘closed shop’ and people from the private sector need not apply.
“Reform of the hiring process will open up the upper echelons of the civil servants to people from all walks of Irish life who feel they can make a contribution,” he said.
He said the changes reflected the programme for government commitment on reforming how senior positions are filled.
“This is a major change which I hope will see changes right away and long into the future.
“Appointments from outside will breathe a breath of fresh air into the system,” he said.
He said it was his belief that the composition of the commission until now discouraged some of the brightest candidates.
He said to address that, he thought it crucial that the chair be independent of the Civil Service and that there be equal representation between civil servants and people outside the Civil Service.
Since 2007, people outside the Civil Service have been allowed to apply for the top positions in Government departments and agencies – secretary general and assistant secretary general – but on a limited basis.
In the three and a half years since then, some 300 external candidates have applied for positions and only one was appointed. That person was a former civil servant.
The composition of the commission includes the secretary general to the Government (ex officio); the second secretary general in the Department of Finance (ex officio); a private sector member; two other secretaries general and the secretary general of the department in which the post is being filled.