Issue 662
Public Affairs Ireland
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This week's public sector news update in Ireland brings several noteworthy developments. Firstly, there is a pressing need for increased government support to help the business sector achieve its sustainability goals. A report suggests that the government should actively seek updates on the sector's actions towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Additionally, concerns have been raised about the government's involvement with PwC following the scandal at the Big Four firm's Australian business. Questions have been raised about the secondment of staff from PwC over the past decade and whether the government has utilised the firm's services or consultancy. The RTé pay crisis is another prominent issue, with inquiries into hidden payments to Ryan Tubridy. The situation took a dramatic turn as the director general of RTé resigned. Lastly, a new recruitment campaign has been launched for the position of Executive Officer (Dublin) in the Civil Service for 2023, offering an opportunity for individuals interested in joining the Civil Service in an Executive Officer role within the Dublin area.
Government should seek updates on actions by sector to progress SDGs, report suggests.
The Government needs to take more meaningful action in engaging with the business sector and helping it play its part in delivering the 2030 UN sustainable development goals (SDGs), according to Concern Worldwide.?In a report issued on Monday following extensive consultation, Concern said business leaders recognise the importance of progressing SDGs “but sustainability action often falls down the priority list in times of crisis”.
While demand from shareholders and employees were key drivers of action on sustainability, “stronger Government policy was needed to both incentivise action and penalise inaction to level the playing field for businesses”.?This echoes?KPMG’s annual enterprise barometer, which found seven-in-10 Irish businesses actively pursue sustainability measures with 83 per cent supporting the need for more action on climate change. However, three-quarters say none of their stakeholders are pressing the issue – while more than half worry that green initiatives will lead to increased costs.
It coincides with the introduction of legislation to strengthen rules around “greenwashing” and sustainability claims, requiring improved transparency and more extensive, independently-audited data on sustainability.?The new regime will mean Irish companies and public entities face mounting risks of legal challenges for greenwashing, US environmental lawyer Maren Salaheldin warned.
Concern, supported by Irish Aid, engaged with the Irish business community on scaling up action on SDGs through eight workshops with 130 participants from 60 companies or organisations, spanning 20 sectors.
“Ireland’s business community has a huge role to play, in helping the country achieve the SDGs, driving positive change both within and beyond the workplace,” the report says.?There is an appetite for change but much needs to be done, within the private sector and at Government level to create viable, sustainable pathways for businesses, said Concern chief executive David Regan.
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Tuesday, August 29th 2023
10.00am – 12.30pm, Online
Monday, October 16th, 2023
9.30am – 3.00pm, Online
Departments asked whether they had seconded staff from PwC over past decade and whether they tapped firm for services or consultancy
The Department of Transport is paying almost €1 million to PwC this year to improve its information technology. Eamon Ryan, the minister, has told the Dáil that PwC was awarded the contract following a procurement process and will assist his department in a “transformation programme to change the overall operational and governance model in place for IT”.
He was responding to one of a series of questions tabled by Catherine Murphy, a Social Democrats TD, who asked every government department whether they had seconded staff from PwC over the last 10 years, and whether they had availed of services or consultancy from the company.
The questions followed a controversy in Australia, where a PwC partner working with government to develop laws to crack down on tax avoidance shared confidential information with colleagues, who won business as a result. Peter-John Collins emailed other PwC offices giving details of his discussions with Australian tax officials and wrote to a colleague in PwC Ireland in April 2015.?Australian tax officials have said they are working with international peers to explore any potential offences outside the country related to the PwC tax leaks scandal.
Ms Murphy confirmed the Australian controversy had prompted her to table the questions but said she had been concerned for some time about an over-reliance on the Big Four consultancies within government.
PwC will be paid €677,300 for its services, and a further €288,000 for six months’ consultancy. Mr Ryan said the support the company has given to date has been “essential in building the capacity of the existing team and sharing knowledge, as well as putting the new operating and governance model in place”.
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Friday, July 21st, 2023
9.30am – 4.00pm, Online
Friday, September 15th, 2023
10.00am – 1.00pm, Online
RTé pay crisis: Inquiries into hidden payments to Ryan Tubridy face pushback from Forbes. Day of drama sees RTé director general resign while three top stars declare pay in full.
Two Oireachtas committees are facing pushback from former RTé director general Dee Forbes in their efforts to investigate hidden payments to presenter Ryan Tubridy. RTé endured yet another day of drama yesterday, which saw Ms Forbes resign and three of its most prominent presenters – Claire Byrne, Joe Duffy and Miriam O’Callaghan – publicly insisting that the national broadcaster had declared their pay in full. However, RTé is still struggling to explain how it issued misleading statements for years about how much it paid Tubridy, the former Late Late Show host.
?The RTé board has promised to provide a “comprehensive statement” today regarding how it issued incorrect declarations on Tubridy’s pay from 2020 to last year. However, the statement will not explain the under-reporting of his pay between 2017 and 2019, because it remains the subject of a separate review by accountants. Stepping down abruptly in her final month in the role, Ms Forbes raised fresh questions about the 2017-2019 period by saying she had no knowledge of €120,000 of undeclared Tubridy payments even though she was director general at the time.
?There was no comment on the affair from Noel Curran, Ms Forbes’s predecessor as director general. “The financial transactions and arrangements being discussed in recent days post-date my time at RTé and I have no comment to make,” he said. Ms Forbes said she did not act alone on Tubridy’s disputed 2020 pay deal, and that she conducted talks on the arrangement “together with other RTé senior executives”. Although the broadcaster’s board has said it knew nothing of the hidden payments, Ms Forbes said the arrangement was concluded “after numerous internal communications over many months” with RTé finance and legal colleagues, among others....
?To read the full press release?click here
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Tuesday, July 18th, 2023
10.00am – 1.00pm, Online
22nd, 29th September and 6th October 2023
9:30am- 4:30pm, Blended
The recruitment campaign for this role is managed by the Public Appointments Service.
Executive Officers are employed in all Government Departments/Offices covering a wide range of functional responsibilities.?The grade of Executive Officer is the entry level to junior management in the Civil Service.
Executive Officers are engaged in critical analysis of proposals and reports and in examining the more complex, non-routine cases on which decisions are required.?They are involved in a wide range of roles and activities, including: researching and drafting proposals relating to policy issues and legislation; acting as junior managers in Government Departments; responsibilities for managing operations and, after some experience, large numbers of people and other resources; dealing directly with the public in support of services provided to them by the Civil Service.??
In recruiting Executive Officers, the Public Appointments Service is conscious of the fact that many of the senior positions in the Civil Service will, in time, be filled by people recruited at this level.?For this reason, we look for people who show the potential to take on high level responsibilities in the management of public services and the analysis of public policy issues.
In order to be effective in the role of an Executive Officer in the Civil Service, candidates need to be:
For More Information?please?click here
For the EOs?Information Booklet?click here
Wednesday 23rd August 2023
10.00am-1.00pm, Online
Monday 14th August 2023
10.00am-4.00pm, Online
Oireachtas Business
This section provides information on Bills scheduled for discussion, Acts considered and any other business.
This section gives a detailed schedule of Dáil éireann business
This section gives a detailed schedule of Seanad éireann business.
This section gives a detailed schedule of committee meetings.
State Board Appointments
Appointments that do not come under the Guidelines