Long Term public sector reform is paramount

[New_Economic_Agenda]

This country has a budget deficit problem. I'd be happy to argue about the cause of it with anyone, but it won't resolve the issue that faces the country. We need to pull together to get out of this situation. Those of us still lucky enough to be in employment have a duty to support those who have lost their jobs and those who will lose them. Few, if any, of us can be completely secure in the knowledge that our job is safe. Even those with tenure in the public sector realize the, albeit unlikely, specter of IMF lurks somewhere in the middle distance.

Sometime in the future I would be in favour of a review and overhaul of permanent and pensionable jobs in the public sector. Frankly i think its an outdated concept, a relic, and should be parred back significantly. Fixed-Term contracts should become even more prevalent than today (already quite prevalent admittedly) and renewal should be performance related. This would require changes to legislation, particular Fixed-Term workers legislation, and indeed, a lobby to EU to introduce an amended working time directive - all of this debate for the future.

Another area in serious need of overhaul is the area of public sector pensions. The idea that there are many retired public servants earning significant 6-figure pensions is disgraceful. Whatever about high-office holders of the state, ex-Presidents etc., who are arguably meritorious of such pensions, the notion that Presidents of Universities, Chief Executives of various authorities, FAS and the like, are earning pensions in that range, and are earning salaries higher again while they work, is ridiculous. Completely unacceptable.

Public sector salaries, particularly at the top end, went out of control, largely as a result of benchmarking - which should be parred back in full. Answer this question: how do you benchmark against someone in the private sector who has lost their job?

We should see the introduction of a salary cap in the public sector, exempting state office-holders, which should be set preferably as a five-figure sum, or a very low six-figure sum. EUR 100,000 perhaps. Facts are, nobody needs those nonsensical salaries we have today, especially in a climate of deflation, when your EURO travels further. There are some 3,000 public sector workers earning over EURO 100,000. How is this justifiable in the current climate?

This is not to say that the private sector are blameless either. Far from it. A private-sector banking crisis, owing to recklessness, greed, and non-existent regulation (public issue), has caused a fiscal crisis. Those in the banks still clinging to their EUR 2 Million salaries should get real, wise up, or pi1s off. What's worse is that mistakes by those at the top are having negative consequences on ordinary workers who earn modest salaries, go about their business, and who risk losing their jobs first when higher management decides to tighten belts.

The answer? Well a lot of what I said above could not be achieved in the short term. They are longer term goals. The short term goal is to stabilize the public finances and this should see everyone take responsibility for this crisis. Yes, there should be leadership from the top, and fairness (the levy does need readjustment and is not fair as it stands) but leadership comes from inside each one of us. The blame game can continue in parallel - and many of us are looking forward to the next General Election - but for now, lets wise up and appreciate the seriousness of the situation before we send the state into paralysis

do you agree?

or will the public sector posters respond with a torrent of abuse?

[sandar]

yeah reform is needed but sacking people and putting em on dole is not going to address that, what I would advoacet is a hiring free, and a package pf early retirement offered to people, then other people who are exisiting employees moved into those jobs, reduces headcount, keeps the younger staff and doesnt add to doel. decentralisation being cut will svae tens of millions and more can come off foreign aid budget+

[merle haggard]

this is like saying my house has just been burnt to the ground by arsonists , but the people we need to go after are the people who didnt actually burn my house to the ground . Just somebody else I believe we should make public enemy number one because the arsonists are people i look up to and I dont want to seem like im part of some howling mob bent on revenge .

the people who went out of control were the banks , politicians and devlopers . Thats who need to be hauled into line first before we even think about putting our economy right , otherwise theyre only sitting now today plotting about how to rip us off with even more scmas and bankrupt us even further if that is at all physically possible . None of them have been pulled into line , none of them have been made accountable . There have been no changes worth speaking of . Except baliling them out with our money , and their declared bousues being a bit lower
But theyll find a feckin way round that one too once the haet dies down abit , never worry .
TDs and taoiseachs pay and pesnions are a feckin joke as well . Seriously . Slash it now . Then get back to the man and woman in the street about cutbacks .

[voodoochile]

Maybe a better analogy would be his lordship's manor being burned down by arsonists, but the old boy was a bit too enamoured with the gin bottle to have to bothered with fire insurance.

Though constabulary are put on the trail of the arsonists, there's little realistic hope that they'll be caught, and if they are, that they'll have the funds to make good the damage.

So the half-senile old goat is forced to cut the butler and gardener's salaries from a princely 100 guineas a year to 90. Not to suggest the fire was their fault or anything, just needs must and all. And though the gardener isn't best pleased, at least the old boys lawns will always need mowing, so he's still a good deal better off that the miner down the road who's only on 30 bob a week and may be out on his ear at any moment.

No upstairs-downstairs offence meant to our fine public servants, as I'd count myself amoungst the lowly miners

That just about covers it,LOL!

[Question R24U]

Two simple measures, make it easier to sack lazy, incompetent, internet distracted and dishonest public sector workers. Then, and this is the real kicker, have no restrictions on who can get the job.
Pensions should be exactly the same as private sector - for new entrants of course. End decentralisation forever - we have a capital for a reason. Abolish privilege days. Make flexitime only for compliant/good workers. Have times of the year when certain public servants must take holidays eg august for civil servants, gardai, nurses etc. Increment payments should only be for highly performing public servants. That will do for starters.