Bertie Ahern
Question:7 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Taoiseach his intentions in view of his recent statement that we will need to reinvent our system of Government for the 21st century. [2167/97]
Ceisteanna—Questions. - System of Government.
In the course of the article in the Sunday Independent on 19 January 1997, referred to by the Deputy, I identified a number of the more significant challenges which face us as a society in the coming years. Among these is the need for us to recognise that the system of Government administration which was designed in the early part of this century can no longer be assumed to be the best available option for the conduct of public business in the era of the information society.
Change is necessary in the way in which our public service is managed and in the way in which our system of Government generally is managed. The major elements of the Government's programme of change for the public service are as set out in Delivering Better Government, published last May. This provides for the modernisation of the public service over the coming years. In particular, there are opportunities for the devolution of responsibility and accountability in order to allow the people closest to the point of service delivery to make the relevant and appropriate decisions in each case.
The Public Service Management Bill, which is due to be published shortly, will give legislative effect to this devolution and lead to a more streamlined approach and customer focused orientation throughout the public service.
Additionally, it has become clear in recent years that, as our society becomes more diversified and complex, Government by one party, on its own, will become less and less frequent. The approach to the management of coalition obviously needs to be different to the approach to the management of single party Government.
Would the Taoiseach read that again?
The management of coalition Government is more than just a process of compromise. It involves completely abandoning one party thinking. Successful coalition requires that each and every one of the parties in that coalition approach it with a partnership mentality and a willingness to spend as much time thinking about the problems of the other parties as it spends thinking about its own problems.
Where does the nation fit in?
That is an election statement if ever I heard one.
It is a direct quotation from the article.
Which the Taoiseach wrote.
I thought I was going to be stimulated by the Taoiseach's great ideas about reinventing our system of Government. Is the Taoiseach really saying that his definition of reinventing the system of Government for the 21st century is to make sure we have more programme managers, handlers and press officers? Has the Taoiseach abandoned the Strategic Management Initiative? Has he no real concern? I do not mind the Taoiseach laughing because it is a bit of a laugh. Nothing is happening with it. It is costing money but there has been no progress. The Minister of State, Deputy Doyle, got lost in the Departments while dealing with it.
Is there anything new in this system of Government for the 21st century other than what the Taoiseach has already stated? He puts it out as some sort of visionary line on new proposals, but is there really anything behind it?
As the Deputy will see, the article to which I am referring in the Sunday Independent covered a large range of topics. I have referred to only two of them. In regard to reform of the system of Government at administrative level, the availability of information technology means you do not need the hierarchical system of public administration that has operated for several hundred years. Information is now instantly available to those making and delivering the decisions, without the necessity of an intermediary hierarchical system.
Did the Taoiseach ever hear of the Office of the Minister for Justice?
In the past, hierarchies in the public service tended to be a means of dispensing — and, in some instances, controlling — information. Now that a more sophisticated system is available, there is not the same need for this elaborate structure. It is possible to devolve more responsibility to front line management.
While it is easy to describe that, it is much more difficult to apply it in a practical way in each office of Government. That process, which is being pursued in a purposeful way by the Government, will take a number of years. It also needs legislative backing — a law to underpin it. The Ministers and Secretaries Act, which centralises all responsibility in the Minister, is not entirely consistent with a process of devolving responsibility. That is why we need to reform the law concerning Government. The Public Services Bill, which will be published shortly, will provide a legal basis for this major process of reform.
As far as political responsibility for Government is concerned, it is important to have the necessary governmental stability for taking decisions in a coherent and purposeful way. A spirit of partnership within Government is required, which involves the abandonment of one party thinking and statements which derive from that. I am glad this Government operates on a partnership basis. Each party works not just to look after the concerns their constituency represents, but with equal concern for the views of other constituencies represented in the Government and the country at large.
That must be the end of Questions to An Taoiseach for today. We now proceed to deal with Questions nominated for priority to the Minister for Justice.
I would draw attention to Question No. 13 in my name.
I am sorry Deputy, I cannot facilitate you. Observe the clock. The Questions we are about to embark upon are Priority Questions to which a time limit applies.