Inconsistencies in Government Policy

national | miscellaneous | opinion/analysis Friday August 08, 2003 19:47 by Sean Crudden sean.crudden at iol dot ie

"Devolution"

Changes proposed for some Semi-state bodies and statutory organisations seem to be going in different directions?

Coming as I do from a scientific background I would myself normally distrust the conclusions of any abstract argument. However I cannot fail to notice a sort of schizophrenic approach by our government to some of the administrative problems of the day. For example on the one hand the
government seems to be proposing the break-up of monolithic structures in CIE and Aer Rianta while on the other hand proposing to create more
monolithic structures in the health service where it seems they wish to amalgamate the existing 11 health boards into four regional "offices."

For my own part I believe in decentralisation and the empowerment of local communities. Those of your readers with long memories will recall how these ideas were made popular by people like the late great Charlie McCarthy, General Secretary of the TUI, in the latter part of the 60's and the early 70's of the last century. The setting up of the Health Boards in 1973 by the late Erskine Childers was prompted by and borne up by this kind ofthinking. However I doubt that, if Erskine or Charlie were alive today, they would be happy with the achievement or cachet of the Health Boards or the Vocational Education Committees in the intervening years.

Anyway I doubt if "success" is dependant on whether a system is large and country-wide in its remit or on whether it is small and locally based. Any system needs dedicated, hard-working operators who respect not only their co-workers but also their clients. It is difficult for any system to thrive and prosper if, as most of the organisations I mention do, they have to operate under the shadow of small, paranoid minds in government departments. In fact, this climate is a paradise for the bolshie, authoritarian charlatan who can easily stymie her more open-minded and honest colleague and play a faulty system merely in the interest of promotion and personal advantage.

Without going into any more detail I suggest to you that it is no panacea to change the system - in whichever direction. There are more
fundamental problems of vested interest and inadequacy in philosophy and work cultures which are pervasive in these statutory organisations. To change this aspect of public service in Ireland requires a paradigm shift based on revolutionary and educational development and it is work which has failed every generation since the foundation of the State.

Trying to get things on the cheap is an unworthy motive. Some of our systems now are so bad that they would be dear at any price.