GOOD EXAMPLE is one of the keys to efficient administration and if the Government wishes to minimise resistance to the abolition of some traditional perks and allowances enjoyed by public servants, it should start by reforming the travel and support systems that operate within Leinster House. Significant cuts have been made in relation to the salaries and allowances of ministers and elected representatives, but unacceptable practices remain.
For the past three months, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin has bleated about the need to review 800 special allowances, along with overtime and premium payments, paid to public servants at a cost of €1.5 billion, to establish whether they qualify as core pay under the terms of the Croke Park agreement.
Initially, he promised to publish details of some of these “historic” expenses. Following objections from trade unions, he asked Government departments to draw up a business case for the payment of the various allowances as part of a comprehensive review. Time dragged on.
There is a resigned acceptance that public spending will have to be reduced in the coming budget. But generating resentment through the selective release of esoteric public allowances may be counterproductive. It tends to pit the public against the private sector and generates discord where a co-operative approach would be more beneficial. Equally important, it swings the spotlight back on to the terms and conditions of politicians.
In recent months, instances have arisen where Ministers used their personal secretarial allowances to pay public relations companies. Some TDs used constituency travel allowances to campaign throughout the country. Others abused printing facilities. And, no doubt, the misuse of a free postal service and unvouched travel expenses continues.
The controversial case of Ivor Callely and his west Cork travels shows how important it is to have clear and unambiguous expense rules for all public representatives. In that regard, the most important reform would involve a scrapping of all unvouched expenses. Other elements that allow ministers and TDs to claim a reduced sum if they do not employ special advisers or personal assistants should also disappear.
All long-lived organisations, whether in the public or private sectors, accumulate allowances and special payments that eventually pass their sell-by date.
In the private sector, these tend to be weeded out when a company faces collapse or new technology is introduced. The public sector enjoys greater protection in terms of security of employment and trade union militancy. In current economic circumstances, however, where a yawning gap exists between Government income and expenditure, there is a compelling case for a review of all allowances, inside and outside of Leinster House.