Advisers and senior civil servants.

mariaalice

blanch152 wrote: »

I am not sure that the government can continue to provide the information as heretofore given the changes in data protection in relation to GDPR. The civil servants and advisers are entitled to their privacy too.

That is a good point but the further up you go there should be less privacy and more public scrutiny of the job its not about the person's private life, someone who is prepared to be open to scrutiny is going to be a better candidate.

blanch152

mariaalice wrote: »

That is a good point but the further up you go there should be less privacy and more public scrutiny of the job its not about the person's private life, someone who is prepared to be open to scrutiny is going to be a better candidate.

I understand, but everyone is entitled to their privacy as Cliff Richard and Denis O'Brien in different ways have been going to court to prove.

mariaalice

blanch152 wrote: »

I understand, but everyone is entitled to their privacy as Cliff Richard and Denis O'Brien in different ways have been going to court to prove.

Don't be daft the grandiosity of comparing senior civil servants and advisors to Cliff Richard and Denis O'Brien.

How would having the name, qualifications and a photo of the advisors on the department's website be a gross invasion of privacy? The same with senior civil servants.

blanch152

mariaalice wrote: »

Don't be daft the grandiosity of comparing senior civil servants and advisors to Cliff Richard and Denis O'Brien.

How would having the name, qualifications and a photo of the advisors on the department's website be a gross invasion of privacy? The same with senior civil servants.

No issue with the name and photo, as that would be required to be able to identify them, and is normal practice for senior people in every organisation.

Qualifications, personal salary, personal arrangements, while these are things for appropriate official scrutiny, they are not matters of public interest.

mariaalice

blanch152 wrote: »

No issue with the name and photo, as that would be required to be able to identify them, and is normal practice for senior people in every organisation.

Qualifications, personal salary, personal arrangements, while these are things for appropriate official scrutiny, they are not matters of public interest.

I will agree with you on salary specifics as long as the guidelines around the salary for the position are public.

Qualifications yes they should be made public because if a minister has a well-paid advisor( I know well paid is subjective ) and the advisor's qualification are a level in 6 in knitting which they studied for after they were made an advisor.

Personal life is not a matter of public interest unless their family and wider circle have in the past or are now benefiting from a connection to a public representive even if it is all above board.

mariaalice

Also employing family irritates people but that in a way is a minor issue but is a public interest issue.

expectationlost

blanch152 wrote: »

I am not sure that the government can continue to provide the information as heretofore given the changes in data protection in relation to GDPR. The civil servants and advisers are entitled to their privacy too.

interesting that a journo asked for list of PAs on the 24th of May that day before the GDPR was supposed to come into effect but another FOI requester is asking about their over time etc in July https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/foi/foi-disclosure-log/?q=parliamentary%20assistants&datePeriod=90d

blanch152

mariaalice wrote: »

I will agree with you on salary specifics as long as the guidelines around the salary for the position are public.

Qualifications yes they should be made public because if a minister has a well-paid advisor( I know well paid is subjective ) and the advisor's qualification are a level in 6 in knitting which they studied for after they were made an advisor.

Personal life is not a matter of public interest unless their family and wider circle have in the past or are now benefiting from a connection to a public representive even if it is all above board.

mariaalice wrote: »

Also employing family irritates people but that in a way is a minor issue but is a public interest issue.

I linked earlier to the Code of Conduct for Civil Servants which comprehensively addresses the issues involved in conflicts of interest. The details are not a matter of public interest.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/colleges-told-tighten-rules-on-staff-conflicts-of-interest-466881.html

In higher education the onus is put on governing bodies to consider issues relating to conflict on interest - it is not a matter for the public.

expectationlost

blanch152 wrote: »

No issue with the name and photo, as that would be required to be able to identify them, and is normal practice for senior people in every organisation.

Qualifications, personal salary, personal arrangements, while these are things for appropriate official scrutiny, they are not matters of public interest.

even the government doesn't agree with that all those things on listed in the opac for special advisers http://opac.oireachtas.ie/liberty/opac/search.do?queryTerm=special%20advisers&mode=BASIC&operator=AND&title=Title%20...%20enter%20here&publicationYear=Year&yearTo=Year%20To&catalogAuthors=Author&mainSubject=Subject&resourceCollection=All&=undefined&modeRadio=KEYWORD&activeMenuItem=false special advisers have to declare whether they are related or not

the Institute of Public Administration has a book listing all seniors civil servants which bizarrely hasn't made it to electronic format https://www.ipa.ie/publications/ireland-a-directory-2017.2603.html

you can search and find bio of secretary generals on dept websites https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/aboutus/aboutthedepartment/secretarygeneralaidanodriscoll/


trying to find sec gens pay https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/now-top-civil-servants-to-get-8k-pay-increases-35376627.html where is this circular

noodler

expectationlost wrote: »

even the government doesn't agree with that all those things on listed in the opac for special advisers http://opac.oireachtas.ie/liberty/opac/search.do?queryTerm=special%20advisers&mode=BASIC&operator=AND&title=Title%20...%20enter%20here&publicationYear=Year&yearTo=Year%20To&catalogAuthors=Author&mainSubject=Subject&resourceCollection=All&=undefined&modeRadio=KEYWORD&activeMenuItem=false special advisers have to declare whether they are related or not

the Institute of Public Administration has a book listing all seniors civil servants which bizarrely hasn't made it to electronic format https://www.ipa.ie/publications/ireland-a-directory-2017.2603.html

you can search and find bio of secretary generals on dept websites https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/aboutus/aboutthedepartment/secretarygeneralaidanodriscoll/

Cost they like selling the hard copies.

There is a website called whatwedo.ie. Or something like that which lists senior civil servants in every dept.

mariaalice

The thing about a level 6 in knitting was a feeble joke, I looked up the advisors of a certain minister and one of the advisors has little to no academic qualifications or even experience in the area of responsibility of the minister.

Senior civil servants are different I would hazard a guess that although there might be the odd dud, the vast majority are well educated shrewd and very capable.

The advisors are a different matter and while it is possible to find out all sorts of information that is not the same as being open to public scrutiny.

Again why the fear of complete openness.

expectationlost

mariaalice wrote: »

The thing about a level 6 in knitting was a feeble joke, I looked up the advisors of a certain minister and one of the advisors has little to no academic qualifications or even experience in the area of responsibility of the minister.

.

they usual have one policy adviser (which could just have experience in _Policy_ rather then topic) and one communications adviser.