Irish Budget launches review of civil service workforce and office space
The Irish government is to undertake a review into the future workforce and office needs of the civil service, aligning with the goals set out in Ireland 2040, its national development plan.
Paschal Donohoe, Ireland’s minister for finance, public expenditure and reform, announced the review in his Budget 2020 speech on 8 October.
He said that demographic changes and the “next wave of technological change” will place new demands on the government’s key offices and departments, and that the civil service of the future “will be different in terms of its skills mix, use of technology and geographical footprint”.
The review will be built into work to develop a longer-term vision and strategy for the civil service. “As part of this future strategy I have asked my officials to review future workforce and office requirements for our civil service and to report to me next year,” he said. “This review will consider the location of support offices and services to ensure consistency with the goals of Ireland 2040 and balanced regional development.”
The civil service has been growing in recent years, and Donohoe noted that staff numbers in the broader public service have increased by more than 42,000 since 2014, reaching 335,594.
The trade union Fórsa, which represents about 80,000 staff across the civil and public service, told the Irish Times it would expect to be briefed by the government on its plan and would examine the initiative further at that stage.
About Mia Hunt
Mia is a journalist and editor with a background in covering commercial property, having been market reports and supplements editor at trade title Property Week and deputy editor of Shopping Centre magazine, now known as Retail Destination. She has also undertaken freelance work for several publications including the preview magazine of international trade show, MAPIC, and TES Global (formerly the Times Educational Supplement) and has produced a white paper on energy efficiency in business for E.ON. Between 2014 and 2016, she was a member of the Revo Customer Experience Committee and an ACE Awards judge. Mia graduated from Kingston University with a first-class degree in journalism and was part of the team that produced The River newspaper, which won Publication of the Year at the Guardian Student Media Awards in 2010.
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