Are we being let down by our Public Servants ??

Fulton Crown

Am I alone in thinkin we are being let down big time by our public servants ?

Read any newspaper ..a litany of cock ups and errors.

The Financial Regulator is the latest.

Cancer screening mess ups

Inability to forecaste revenue.

Cost overrunns etc etc.

What are they playing at...who is in charge...anyone ??

PCPhoto

more to the point .... why cant we hold them accountable ? the amount of money some of them have earned/wasted on behalf of the country is disgraceful.

(just my two cents)

dolliemix

My answer to this thread before it turns into yet another public servant bashing thread - No

Professey Chin

Yes we have been let down
Yes they have squandered
Yes we did vote them in
No as a country we wont do anything about it cause its easier to just b!tch
Repeat as necessary

Biggins

Have we too many - Yes
Are they under resourced - YES
Are we let down by the MAJORITY of them - No (they too are fighting to do their work in an enviroment that is starving them of much needed resources)

Volvoboy

The whole Country is fcuked anyway, pointless thread.

Silenceisbliss

yeah i agree, country is broken....we need a new.

isreal are pretty preoccupied at the moment....we could take that?!...

FlutterinBantam

REALissue is,of course that we have not been let down by them, or that they are more inefficient than other similar professions,but is that THEY COST TOO MUCH

Benchmarking/pensions/ increments/absenteeism have combined,particularly benchmarking,to escalate the costs to way above affordable rates.

If you run a butchers shop and have three butchers who could be the best in the world, but if you are paying then €90k pa well it doesn't take rocket science to conclude that the figures won't add up.

10% pay cut all round, be thankful your jobs are safe.

Nolanger

Dole offices taking up to 8 weeks to process claims due to 'lack of staff'.
Nothing to do with poor management or general inefficiency?

gary the great

Nolanger wrote: »

Dole offices taking up to 8 weeks to process claims due to 'lack of staff'.
Nothing to do with poor management or general inefficiency?

No.

If you only have the staff to process 200 new dole claims a week, but suddnely this jumps to 650 a week, theres going to be delays.

Fulton Crown

dolliemix wrote: »

My answer to this thread before it turns into yet another public servant bashing thread - No

Just reasoned debate poster...bashing not on the agenda..I was thinkin of the unelected public servants / local authorities etc.

I agree there are many many excellent public servants at the lower grades.. but think the recent water problems in Galway..how could that be allowed to happen ?? Have any heads rolled.

Think the Fin.Regulator who several times on TV said all was Ok with the Banks when it clearly was not.

Think the recent dumping of confidential hospital records in the North West and think the obscenly costly tribunal investigating rogue guards in Donegal.

Ok some heads rolled ..but enough ? and quickly enough.??

dolliemix

Fulton Crown wrote: »

Just reasoned debate poster...bashing not on the agenda..I was thinkin of the unelected public servants / local authorities etc.

I agree there are many many excellent public servants at the lower grades.. but think the recent water problems in Galway..how could that be allowed to happen ?? Have any heads rolled.

Think the Fin.Regulator who several times on TV said all was Ok with the Banks when it clearly was not.

Think the recent dumping of confidential hospital records in the North West and think the obscenly costly tribunal investigating rogue guards in Donegal.

Ok some heads rolled ..but enough ? and quickly enough.??

Well then specify.

My answer is still - No

Being let down by the Government who manage the Public Service - Yes

Being let down by whoever voted Fianna Fail in over the last decade - Yes, Yes, Yes

Chinafoot

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

10% pay cut all round, be thankful your jobs are safe.

And what about the thousands on a very low wage? Do you think all public servants are on huge money? The public's inability to see the difference really pisses me off. I've worked in the public service for over two years and I'm on money that lots of people wouldn't even consider starting a job for. Should I take a 10% cut too?

ixoy

Chinafoot wrote: »

And what about the thousands on a very low wage? Do you think all public servants are on huge money? The public's inability to see the difference really pisses me off. I've worked in the public service for over two years and I'm on money that lots of people wouldn't even consider starting a job for. Should I take a 10% cut too?

Low wage is relative of course, but I appreciate that some COs would be on a relatively poor wage... but then many people do start on a low wage. You balance that against the other benefits offered by the public service (which does vary of course): good holidays, flexi-time, pensions, and - in the current climate - a far greater degree of job security. Or else why would anyone join? Such concepts should be factored into the wage when being compared against a private sector wage (i.e. add a bump of 5% or whatever figure could be arrived at).

As to where the cuts should be.. probably those above the average industrial wage (34k+) is where cuts should begin, with larger cuts on those on higher wages. Cutting down on those on a lower wage might not necessarily work.

Ideally, long term, you'd also see the addressing of numbers in the service - there are definitely areas over staffed, for sure as well as under staffed. It might be a case of re-assigning people (happens in the private sector) but in others it might mean letting go of some. Use PMDS effectively to target this - I refuse to believe only .7% of workers in certain departments aren't meeting their target unless their targets are blindingly easy. Basically, give the slackers a kick in the rear: shape up or ship out.

Professey Chin

dolliemix wrote: »

Well then specify.

My answer is still - No

Being let down by the Government who manage the Public Service - Yes

Being let down by whoever voted Fianna Fail in over the last decade - Yes, Yes, Yes

Dont look at me. I voted for Kodos

axel rose

op the topic is far too vague. You may as well say something along the lines of 'Irish people- are they all alcoholics?' You cant put all public servants in the same group. Can you really compare a nurse with the financial regulator?
Do you really think that the person processing the dole forms can actually do anything to streamline the system? Do you really believe that that persons opinion is even asked?
People in the public sector are just as frustrated as those in the private sector-probably more so as they see what the problems actually are. The generic arguement 'public servants are all lazy feckers who would never survive in the real world'is wearing thin to be honest.
But whatever, its not a new thread here by any means, bash away!

Senna

The inability for middle and senior management in the public services to make any decision is responsible for a lot of the problems. From my dealing with them (i dont work in the PS), they are afraid to stand up and make the decision, they dont want to be responsible. It everything to do with the 'culture' that the public service has grown and alot of the unfortunate staff have to work in.

Mr Ed

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

REALissue is,of course that we have not been let down by them, or that they are more inefficient than other similar professions,but is that THEY COST TOO MUCH

Benchmarking/pensions/ increments/absenteeism have combined,particularly benchmarking,to escalate the costs to way above affordable rates.

If you run a butchers shop and have three butchers who could be the best in the world, but if you are paying then €90k pa well it doesn't take rocket science to conclude that the figures won't add up.

10% pay cut all round, be thankful your jobs are safe.

I don't think 10% is enough for some of them.

dolliemix

Ultimate Chin wrote: »

Dont look at me. I voted for Kodos

Ok you're ticked off the list so

Correction:

Being let down by people who voted Fianna Fail over the last decade - Yes Yes and Yes