Have a personal or library account? Click to login
Setting out a vision for the civil service in Ireland Cover

Setting out a vision for the civil service in Ireland

Open Access
|Dec 2025

References

  1. Aylward, S., Feely, S., Flanagan, J., Hennessy, M., Kearney, G., Molloy, R., & O’Flynn, A. (2000). Implementing & sustaining the change process in the Irish public sector. Dublin: School of Business Studies, Trinity College.
  2. Boyle, R. (2005). Governance and accountability in the Irish civil service [Committee for Public Management Research, discussion paper 6]. Dublin: Institute of Public Administration.
  3. Boyle, R., & MacCarthaigh, M. (2011). Fit for purpose? Challenges for the Irish public administration and priorities for public service reform [State of the Public Service Series, research paper 4]. Dublin: Institute of Public Administration.
  4. Brennan, J. (1936). Commission of inquiry into the civil service 1932–1935: Volume 1, final report with appendices. Dublin: The Stationery Office.
  5. Burke, T. (2014). ‘Events, dear boy, events’ have put climate change back on the agenda. Retrieved from www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2014/mar/26/events-climate-change-extreme-weather [11 November 2014].
  6. Byrne, D., Dully, J., Garvey, D., Kirwan, W., Mulherin, T., O’Hanlon, G., … & Tutty, M. (1995). Strategic management in the Irish civil service: A review drawing on experience in New Zealand & Australia. Administration, 43 (3).
  7. Callanan, M. (2006). Evolution and transformation? Critical junctures and drivers of change in public services – A retrospective [Public Service 2022 Project, working paper no. 1]. Retrieved from www.publicservice2022.ie/2022WorkingPaper1.pdf [11 November 2014].
  8. Carroll, L. (1865). Alice’s adventures in wonderland. New York: MacMillan.
  9. ChangeFactory. (2014). The components of a good vision statement. Retrieved from www.changefactory.com.au/our-thinking/articles/the-components-ofa-good-vision-statement/ [11 November 2014].
  10. Connaughton, B. (2005). The impact of reform on politico-administrative relations in Ireland: Enlightening or confusing roles of political and managerial accountability? Retrieved from www.unpan.org/Portals/0/UNPAN/Conferences/conf_13nispaceemeeting04.asp [11 November 2014].
  11. Cromien, S. (1991). The public service as a profession. Seirbhís Phoiblí, 12 (2).
  12. De Buitléir, D. (1991). Reflections on management in the public service. Seirbhís Phoiblí, 12 (2).
  13. Department of Finance. (2002). Report of the Working Group on the Accountability of Secretaries General and Accounting Officers. Dublin: The Stationery Office.
  14. Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. (2014a). Public service reform plan 2014–2016. Retrieved from reformplan.per.gov.ie [11 November 2014].
  15. Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. (2014b). Strengthening civil service accountability and performance – Consultation paper on programme for government commitments. Retrieved from www.per.gov.ie/civil-service-accountability-consultation-process/ [11 November 2014].
  16. Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. (2014c). Report of the Independent Panel on Strengthening Civil Service Accountability and Performance. Retrieved from www.per.gov.ie/civil-service-accountability-consultation-process/ [11 November 2014].
  17. Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. (2014d). The civil service renewal plan – A vision and three year action plan for the civil service. Dublin: The Stationery Office.
  18. Department of Public Service. (1985). Serving the country better – A White Paper on the public service. Dublin: The Stationery Office.
  19. Department of the Taoiseach. (1996). Delivering better government: Second report to government of the Co-ordinating Group of Secretaries – A programme of change for the Irish civil service. Retrieved from per.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/Delivering_Better_Government.pdf [11 November 2014].
  20. Department of the Taoiseach. (2008). Transforming public services: Citizen centred – performance focused. Report of the Task Force on the Public Service. Dublin: The Stationery Office.
  21. Devlin, L. (1969). Report of Public Services Organisation Review Group 1966–1969. Retrieved from www.lenus.ie [11 November 2014].
  22. Donnelly, M. (2014). Positive neutrality and trust – The policy role of a permanent civil service [Speech presented to Institute for Government]. Retrieved from www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/news/latest/speech-bis-permanent-secretary-martin-donnelly [11 November 2014].
  23. European Convention on Human Rights Act, Government of Ireland, (2003).
  24. FitzGerald, G. (2000) Diluting lobbies and unleashing growth. In R. O’Donnell (Ed.), Europe: The Irish experience. Dublin: Institute of European Affairs.
  25. Government of Ireland. (2008). An introduction to the Irish civil service. Retrieved from hr.per.gov.ie/files/2011/04/A-Guide-to-the-Civil-Service1.pdf [11 November 2014].
  26. Hardiman, N., & MacCarthaigh, M. (2010, November 11). Institutional evolution of the Irish state administration. Paper to accompany launch of the Irish State Administrative Database (ISAD), Newman House, Dublin.
  27. Hood, C. (1991). A public management for all seasons? Public Administration, 69 (1), 3–19.
  28. Human Rights Commission Act, Government of Ireland, (2000). Humphreys, P. C. (1998). Improving public service delivery [Committee for Public Management Research, discussion paper 7]. Dublin: Institute of Public Administration.
  29. Jisc. (2014). What makes a good vision statement? Retrieved from www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/mission-vision-values/vision-statement/good-vision/ [11 November 2014].
  30. Kelly, D. (1979). The public service reform programme. Administration, 27 (4), 399 –407.
  31. Lee, J. J. (1989). Ireland 1912–1985: Politics and society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  32. Lodge, G., Kalitowski, S., Pearce, N., & Muir, R. (2013). Accountability and responsiveness in the senior civil service: Lessons from overseas. London: Institute for Public Policy Research.
  33. MacCarthaigh, M. (2008). Public service values [Committee for Public Management Research, discussion paper 39]. Dublin: Institute of Public Administration.
  34. MacCarthaigh, M., & Boyle, R. (2014). Civil service accountability: Challenge and change [State of the Public Service Series, research paper 12]. Dublin: Institute of Public Administration.
  35. McCarthy, D. (2001, November 16). The future of the public service – A vision. Address to the Civil Service Conference ‘Making Change Work’, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin.
  36. McGuinness, J. (2012, July 20). Letter to Robert Watt, Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform [Ref: JMcG/AB0712/485]. Retrieved from www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/media/committees/pac/Letter-to-Robert-Watt-from-Mr-John-McGuinness-TD-20.07.2012.pdf [11 November 2014].
  37. Murray, J. A. (2001). Reflections on the SMI [Working Paper 01]. Retrieved from www.tcd.ie/policy-institute/assets/pdf/PIWP01_John%20Murray.pdf [11 November 2014].
  38. Northcote, S. H., & Trevelyan, C. E. (1854). Report on the organisation of the permanent civil service together with a letter from the Rev. B. Jowett presented to both Houses of the Parliament by command of Her Majesty, London. London: HMSO.
  39. OECD. (1996). Ethics in the public service: Current issues and practice [Public Management Occasional Papers, no. 14]. Retrieved from 78.41.128.130/dataoecd/59/24/1898992.pdf [11 November 2014].
  40. OECD. (2008). Ireland – Towards an integrated public service. Paris: OECD. OECD. (2011). OECD 50th anniversary vision statement. Retrieved from www.oecd.org/mcm/48064973.pdf [11 November 2014].
  41. PA Consulting Group. (2002). Evaluation of the Strategic Management Initiative: Report commissioned by the Department of the Taoiseach. Dublin: PA Consulting Group.
  42. Public Service Management Act, Government of Ireland, (1997).
  43. Rose, R., & Garvin, T. (1983). The public policy effects of independence: Ireland as a test case. European Journal of Political Research, 11, 377–97.
  44. Ruane, F. (2012). Research evidence and policymaking in Ireland. Administration, 60 (2), 119–38.
  45. Scottish Government. (2010). Civil service code. Retrieved from www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/923/0110016.pdf [11 November 2014].
  46. Searle, R. (2013, September 25). Political public sector bashing: the unforeseen consequences. The Guardian.
  47. Spearman, S. (2013). Your company vision: If it’s complicated, it shouldn’t be. Retrieved from www.forbes.com/sites/johnkotter/2013/10/14/the-reason-most-company-vision-statements-arent-effective/ [11 November 2014].
  48. Standards in Public Office Commission. (2004). Civil service code of standards and behaviour. Retrieved from hr.per.gov.ie/files/2011/06/Civil-Service-Code-of-Standards-and-Behaviour.pdf [11 November 2014].
  49. State Services Commission for New Zealand. (2002). Walking the talk: Making values real: Core public service values. Retrieved from www.ssc.govt.nz/node/7001 [11 November 2014].
  50. United Nations. (1945). Charter of the United Nations. Retrieved from www.un.org/en/documents/charter/[11 November 2014].
  51. Walker, D. (2013, December 16). Let’s define the roles of ministers and civil servants once and for all. The Guardian.
  52. Whelan, N. (1979). Public service adaptation – Its nature and requirements. Administration, 27 (1), 85–96.
  53. Whittington, R. (1993). What is strategy and does it matter? London: Routledge.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/admin-2025-0027 | Journal eISSN: 2449-9471 | Journal ISSN: 0001-8325
Language: English
Page range: 73 - 98
Published on: Dec 12, 2025
Published by: The Institute of Public Administration of Ireland
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

© 2025 Anne Barrington, Breffini Carpenter, Steve MacFeely, published by The Institute of Public Administration of Ireland
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.