The partnership process, recently renewed by the Toward 2016 agreement, has not delivered public service reform, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has told the TEEU conference in Dundalk.
Failures and inadequacies in the public service had led to situations such as the neglect of patients in Leas Cross nursing home, a situation that the Health Service Executive had been made aware of but nobody was willing to take responsibility for, he said.
Fine Gael supported partnership, Mr Kenny said, but the process was flawed in that it lacked any input from elected officials. "We do not believe that it has delivered meaningful public service reform, has not had a strong consumer voice and has a lack of connection to the democratic process."
The benchmarking system should be used to make improvements in the public service by rewarding those who bring efficiencies in work practices, he said, as it had a "much greater potential than merely to be a conduit for paying out wages".
A huge amount of money had been spent on the public service but the maximum investment had resulted in "minimum delivery". Fine Gael intended to spend more money on public service but would require reform.
