THE measures in the Public Service Management Bill would "deliver the most positive and constructive changes in the conduct of public services in a generation", the Minister of State for Finance, Ms Avril Doyle, said.
She was introducing the second stage of the Bill, which has already been through the Seanad. One of the most significant improvements from that was "the limitation on the numbers of special advisers appointed by Ministers and Ministers of State", Ms Doyle said.
The Fianna Fail spokesman on social welfare, Dr Michael Woods, welcomed the Bill and said the delegation of more authority to a secretary general would introduce a greater clarity to the workings of Government departments. However he did not believe the Bill could work without changing the Official Secrets Act.
The Progressive Democrats finance spokesman, Mr Michael McDowell, dismissed the Bill as "profoundly disappointing". He did not believe it was a "charter for Ministerial responsibility for the 21st century".
The Minister said: "The public service must employ best practice in organisational and management techniques to serve the citizens of the State who are the clients and customers of the public services. The new Bill meets these needs."
Under the Bill Department secretaries will become "secretaries general" and will have greater autonomy in the day to day management of departments of State. They "will now also be given responsibility for appointments, performance, discipline and dismissal in relation to staff of their departments below the level of principal".
This, the Minister said "will ensure that work done in the various parts of the Civil Service will be performed in a more focused way and in a manner which more clearly delineates the responsibilities of individual civil servants."
Mr McDowell said that this would be "problematic" and that Ministers could find themselves "pushed to the edge of the department."