Derek Mitchell welcomes Fine Gael policy of completely Re-Inventing Government.

Fine Gael has issued a series of deep reform policies for the Public Service, the biggest change since the State was founded.

This includes:

• Abolishing the Senate and 20 TD’s,
• Abolishing 145 specified Quangos to reduce the burden on business and cut costs,
• Cutting the Core Pay of 650 Senior Civil Servants and replacing failed ones,
• Recruitment of some senior ones from outside the public Service due to the mess the Depatment of Finance has made of the ecconomy,
• Increasing accountability for performance. Ireland has come last on accountability in an OECD study,
• 10% reduction in Civil Servant numbers which is 30,000,
• Introducing proper bus competition as this produces better services and more users in other places such as London.

There is much more in the 98 pages of reforms mostly documented by Richard Bruton TD. The present system and Fianna Fail has failed the country and I am pleased that FG has the courage to radically reform them.