A University of Gothenberg survey has found that Ireland’s public service is ranked first amongst EU member states for professionalism. It was also found to be the least politicised.

Meanwhile, an Institute of Public Administration paper has concluded that the Irish public service is freer from corruption than the EU average. It also scores better than the EU norm in encouraging competition and in ensuring that business is not hindered by bureaucracy.

These facts are reflected in public sentiment. Trust in public administration is six points higher than the EU average.

It’s important to note, in this context, that according to the IPA survey, Ireland spends the third least amongst EU member states on outsourcing. Outsourcing was a central issue in the recent pay talks. IMPACT and other unions succeeded in securing unparalleled protections against outsourcing in Ireland.

Industrial Relations News notes that “Ireland spends 6.5% of GDP on outsourcing public services, just marginally ahead of Latvia and Greece, and well behind the table topper the Netherlands, which spends 16.5%.”

However, the IPA also points out that the percentage of public servants employed in Ireland, relative to the overall workforce, is low. In 2013, 17.4% of Ireland’s workforce worked in the public sector. Only Italy, Portugal and Spain are below Ireland.