LEADERSHIP WAS never more necessary in this society and political leadership, in particular, faces immense challenges. Restraint, careful planning and good example are vital ingredients in re-igniting public confidence. In that regard, the Government has made a good start by cutting back hard on the traditional “Mercs and perks” of office.
The sight of a fleet of chauffeur-driven cars sweeping into Farmleigh last December, as former government ministers met to agree on the most painful cutbacks in recent history, infuriated the public. It epitomised the gulf that had opened between the government and the electorate and displayed a lack of sensibility by ministers who had been too long in office. The resulting outcry reinforced commitments given earlier by Fine Gael and the Labour Party to reform the system of ministerial privileges and official transport.
The changes announced last Tuesday were long overdue and, encouragingly, they went beyond what had been generally expected. In addition to addressing the cost of ministerial transport, the Cabinet decided to cut the staffing levels in the offices of Ministers and Ministers of State. Here, the number of civil servants employed solely to deal with the constituency work of ministers had become something of a scandal. Like reductions in ministerial pay and changes to pension entitlements that were announced earlier, these cutbacks are designed to demonstrate that reform of the public service is being undertaken from the top down. In themselves, these reforms will not have a major impact on correcting the public finances. Their significance lies in a ministerial willingness to burden-share and to provide leadership through good example.
It is always difficult to remove long-standing benefits and, up to recently, the public has viewed politicians as being largely immune to the harsh winds of change. These initiatives may change that perception and are likely to be unpopular with those directly and indirectly affected. Dispensing with armed Garda drivers for 12 senior Ministers and cutting back on staffing in ministerial offices will generate considerable savings in the cost of Government. The removal of official cars and Garda drivers from former taoisigh and presidents, except on important State occasions, reflects a new financial reality where costs have to be cut to fund essential social services. The message is clear and unambiguous. We have been living beyond our means and such munificence can no longer be afforded.
If the public service is to be reduced in size and made fit for purpose, the old way of doing things will have to give way to extensive structural changes and new approaches. The Croke Park deal has been presented as a vehicle for that change. The Government has pledged that, if co-operation is forthcoming from public service unions and their members, all redundancies will be voluntary. Time, however, is running out in agreeing and implementing the changes needed to meet the EU-IMF bailout terms and correct the public finances. Early co-operation, rather than confrontation, is required.