The daily operations of a secretary general in a Government department can be complex. One notorious incident in a particularly high-ranking department involves a long-standing minister who, after a disagreement with his staff, barricaded himself within his office, proving immovable. The most senior civil officer, the secretary general, attempted to negotiate from the other side.
The minister, a man of wealth who is currently deceased, had no desire to work with the civil servants allotted to his department, preferring to employ his own personnel to put his policies into practice. He even went so far as to threaten to engage the attorney general. Eventually, the issue settled, but the anecdote clearly demonstrates the instances of strain that sometimes occur between Ministers and their top-ranking officers.
Secretaries general are entrusted with running their departments and providing advice to their Ministers. However, they aren’t the only ones offering guidance; the law allows each Minister to employ two advisers. Gary Murphy, a politics lecturer at Dublin City University reported that ministers recently have increasingly turned to management consultants for advice preceding considerable policy choices. However, secretaries general by nature hold the responsibility of explaining the decision’s implementations in front of Oireachtas committees, as they are the departments’ accounting officers.
A common belief held by some previous high-level civil workers is that, though their salaries are decent, individuals in top positions in the private sector often earn a noticeable amount more. However, it must be considered that it is exceptionally uncommon for a senior civil worker to lose their job in times of blunder, contrary to the private sector.
According to Professor Murphy, there has been a recent trend of appointing younger secretaries general. He notes that while TK Whitaker, a renowned civil servant and the individual credited with many of Ireland’s modern economic policies, was appointed for his skill as the most senior official in the Department of Finance at 39, this was an unusual occurrence in a time when appointments were typically based on seniority.
This tendency to select individuals in their 40s gives rise to several issues. Among them, the duration of their services, how extended tenures could obstruct others’ promotional possibilities, and what measures the State should employ to compensate those who must retire in their 50s. This matter becomes even more complex considering conflict-of-interest guidelines potentially restricting their future endeavours.
Prof Murphy articulates that the government’s challenge continues to revolve around a particular matter. Recent governmental reports reveal that women surpass men when it comes to acquiring senior roles in the Civil Service. In the early days of March, a novel set of provisions was ratified by the Cabinet. Moving forward, general secretaries can uphold their roles for up to 9 years, after which they are allowed to back step to a subordinate assistant secretary rank. Additionally, it is within the government’s power to suggest alternative titles or provide a one-year remuneration payment.
Currently, the nation’s top tier civil servants number 18, which manage government agencies, five among them being women. Four distinct remuneration brackets are available for general secretaries, which can range slightly over €230,000 to nearing €300,000. There exist additional Civil Service positions bearing similar pay scales such as the Revenue Commissioners Chair, Director General of the Attorney General’s office, the Chief State Solicitor, and the Public Prosecutions Director.
In opposition to the common opinion that those senior officials, known as “top mandarins”, were educated at private schools, quite a few hailed from public schools. Within the group, two attended the same Christian brothers school, class fellows. Some among them pursued their college degrees later in life or through evening classes.
A select few had a background in the private sector. Recent declines in applications from outside the public system have been noted by the Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC), an entity responsible for suggesting candidates for the three highest positions within Civil Service. The TLAC’s 2021 report candidly states that the candidate pool advancing to the initial and final interview stages show no ethnic diversity, despite an increasingly diverse ethnic intake into the workforce. Hence, it’s deemed crucial that the civil servants’ composition mirror the ethnic mix of the society.
Amid subsequent scandals surrounding sizeable retirement schemes, pension plans suffered adjustments in 2011. The then public expenditure minister, Brendan Howlin, announced that no additional years would be considered for pension objectives and pensions would not be distributed until the least retirement age is achieved.
In July 2012, Brendan Howlin presented a roster of high-ranking officials to Dáil, outlining those who would still enjoy the benefits of prior, more favourable conditions. On this record, Robert Watt, now helming the Department of Health, and Martin Fraser, presently Ireland’s London ambassador, were mentioned. However, the Department of Public Expenditure declined to confirm if these measures still held after their new appointments.
Though the financial compensation and pension schemes may appear lucrative, they are causing some discontent. A number of high-ranking civil servants consider the government’s suggestion that general secretaries be demoted to assistant secretaries following their term untenable.
Another contention is the potential for a hefty tax burden should their pension funds exceed the €2 million boundary eligible for tax relief. The government is presently reassessing these regulations. Both the press and politicians subject top officials to close examination, which is also causing discord.
While senior figures in the private sector facing scandals are typically dealt with in private, leading civil servants are required to confront politicians in fully public Oireachtas committee hearings. As such, their normally discrete back office duties are thrust into the spotlight.