Sir, - There are essential services, the provision of which is a Government responsibility. Monopoly powers may be involved, as the service may not offer profit potential in line with market criteria. In undertaking to provide the service, Government motivation is service, not profit. The ESB is a good example of such a project.
To introduce profit as a measure of effectiveness of service is to confuse two separate motivators. It suggests a failure on the part of Government to motivate management and workforce. Once the profit criterion is introduced, it becomes an annual baseline that has to be continually raised. It is the wrong way to evaluate the success or other ways of the service.
A more appropriate approach to management by Government would be to involve all employees in sharing savings. Since the average level of industrial productivity is less than 80 per cent of potential, there exists in all enterprises a considerable margin for improvement, but only the workforce can make the plan work. Should not the Minister consider adopting this approach to his CIE problem? - Yours, etc.,
Strand Road,
Bray,
Co Wicklow.