asked the Minister for the Public Service the reforms in the Civil Service which he is likely to bring forward in the foreseeable future.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Civil Service Reform.
7.
The Government announced in the national plan, Building on Reality, that a White Paper on this topic is to be published shortly. Work is now almost completed on the detailed proposals for that White Paper and I intend to put them before the Government shortly. The Deputy will appreciate that it would not be proper for me to comment further on the proposals prior to the Government considering them.
Would the Minister say on what date the White Paper will be issued? Will it be a comprehensive document on the public service or will it cover only areas covered by his Department? When the Department of the Public Service was set up its purpose was to deal with financial and organisational units. It is generally accepted that it failed as a Department to do what it was set up to do. Is the White Paper covering the failure of the Department of the Public Service or is it a wide-ranging White Peper to cover all Departments and the entire public service?
I could not say with accuracy and I would be loath to give the Deputy an accurate date for the publication of the White Paper, except to say that a submission to the Government in draft form is imminent. It would be wrong for me to begin to engage in a discussion as to its possible content until the Government have had an opportunity to consider the proposals and to decide on the form they wish to put forward and enunciate. In relation to other aspects of the Deputy's question and the insinuations contained therein regarding the performance of the Department of the Public Service, I have to reject them and point out that there is a question in similar vein on today's Order Paper.