Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 November 2012
582. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will outline the opportunities that persons in lower grades of the Public Service have been afforded ion contributing to the reforms of the public service as sought in the Public Service Agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50638/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe objective of the Public Service Agreement is to ensure that the Public Service continues its contribution to the return of economic growth and economic prosperity while delivering excellence in service to the Irish public. This is being achieved by staff and management, at all levels, working together to build an increasingly integrated public service which is leaner and more effective and focused more on the needs of the citizen. As a Minister in a small Department, I am very aware that the commitment, skill and knowledge of the people working with me are critical assets and an integral part of the Department's resources. As such, I am anxious to ensure that staff at all levels are fully engaged with delivering strategic objectives for the Department. I understand the Deputy is particularly interested in staff engagement at clerical and executive officer level in contributing to the reform agenda. I am happy to inform the Deputy that these grades were represented in the development of my Department's Statement of Strategy which will guide the Department in responding flexibly and innovatively to changing circumstances. Staff at all levels are talented and committed. It is through their efforts that ambitions for children and young people set out in this Strategy will be achieved. The human resource policies in my Department allow for full staff engagement on matters involving them. For example, clerical and executive staff are involved in the Business Planning process in their respective units across the Department where clear goals and performance indicators for the year ahead are developed and agreed. A new Partnership Committee has recently been established which involves a continuous commitment by employees to identify improvements in quality and efficiency and an acceptance by management that employees are stakeholders with rights and interests to be considered in the context of major decisions affecting their work and employment.
