@Robert Phelan: no opposition in government like there used to be. Anything can be brought in now. People are too quiet and can’t afford to protest. Worse it gets year on year.

@Bull McCabe: yep spot on Bull McCabe.what broke the back in politics for me was when people re-elected FF back into government knowing what they did during the recession.That finished politics for me.the Irish had their chance for change but instead gave power back to FF madness.no more protesting from me the Irish can learn the hard way through their pockets. Accountability laws should of been the first drafted piece of legislation when the recession hit and jail for croquet bankers and corrupted politicians.Im voting direct democracy from here on in..

@Vocal Outrage: everyone knows the October budget means feck all considering the fears of a brexit fallout second budget. Every smokescreen from social to mainstream media will be unleashed in full force, ie: children’s hostipal, alcohol pricicing, Gerrys in the ra etc,, all deflection tactics from a right wing “government”

Mr. Watt is correct. We already know how much the project cost.

It is the Secretary General of the Department of Social Protection who should be invited to appear in front of the committee.

McGuinness is grandstanding again.

@Mr Bordello: what you say is absolutely true, a bunch of lying crooks run the state now. Unbelievable.

@Mr Bordello: hold on, are you actually arguing that he should have time to attend because this budget doesn’t count as another one will have to he drafted post brexit? He has time to attend because rather than having to prep 1 budget the department have to prepare 2 sequential budgets? That’s quite a logical somersault there

@Mr Bordello: same at the top of financial institutions, multi-nationals etc. not a public sector thing.

@Chin Feeyin: You obviously haven’t read the DPC Report!Check DEASP reply to DPC as to why they wanted to show 1st confidential draft PSC Report to DPER!

@GrahamMManning: theres no political will to do any different, it is public sector thing.

@Vocal Outrage: Here the thing if your boss calls you to the office you go , or you get sacked. Now he playing for time , four TD who were elected to the EU are due to have there seats up in a mini election. Please dont be so easily mislead.

@Paul Whelan: if your boss calls you do, problem here is his boss didn’t call, in fact, his boss, the minister, is also not attending, although I can’t see the logic of the bosses arguement not to attend. What has happened here is in effect the auditor has called, and if you’ve worked in industry you’d realise that audits get delayed all the time if there are looming deadlines. Again, the civil servant hasn’t refused to attend, merely deferred.
As for being mislead, don’t confuse your cynasism for my realism

@Vocal Outrage: Accountability and transparency re public expenditure is as important as Budgets,(that’s why DPER set up in 2011!),in fact the success of Budgets rely on prudent public expenditure and policies and both are important to the public as they affect the public and their families.
This is a2 year long Report &DPER aware of Draft Report findings so it must have been know attendance at Finance Committee/PAC would be requested once Report released!

@Ich bin brendan: agreed but no it’s not. It’s a “the top end of any industry” thing.

@Nuala Mc Namara: yes, fully agree, but McGuinness has timed this request at just such a time to reduce the possibility of the Secretary General being able to attend and if he did to have full figures. McGuinness has pulled stunts before to get headlines, and don’t forget, it was his party in government who first enacted legislation which would lead to the PSC being introduced.

@Vocal Outrage: Newsflash,DPC Report out same week as Dail back after holidays so that’s why Finance Committee called him!

@Vocal Outrage: Wrong, the committee is his boss rather like the govening board of a company calling in a senior manager, he attends. He does not ask his immediate boss can he go . Other wise why have committees all ?.

@Paul Whelan: if you actually check up on the role of dail committees, it is the ministers and government who are accountable to the committees, in turn the civil servants are accountable to their respective line ministers. Within the public sector that hierarchy and delineation is very important within a democracy as it is important that civil servants are not drawn into the political sphere, or vice-versa. At least, that’s the theory.
But regardless of all that, he hasn’t refused to attend, just that it be deferred until after the most high tempo portion of the year for DPER

@Vocal Outrage: Ministers and their servants my friend.

@Vocal Outrage: cival servants no accountability. Can’t be sacked

@Eugene Comaskey: woah. Into the ole domination are we Eugene? Whatever floats your boat hon. And did the nasty public service people (cos we’re all the same)not hire you back in the day? Most salaries are not “very large” with qualifications taken into account. I’ve never bullied anyone in my job and work plenty hard.

@GrahamMManning:Blowing your own trumpet now. Just try dealing with any P S these days ?.

@Eugene Comaskey: staying facts and I’m a very pleasant member of the public service to deal with. Your BS sweeping generalisation is as pointless as it is inaccurate.

@GrahamMManning: I wouldn’t tar everyone with the same brush but would agree largely with Eugene. When you see it at the top you damn right believe it trickles down. We can only “hope” people have morals to do the right thing because theirs little accountability for those in jobs for life.

@Ich bin brendan: “I wouldn’t tar everyone with the same brush” as you all but tar everyone with the same brush immediately after???

@James Keogh: cop yourself on James. John McGuinness is showboating again ok. Watt hasn’t refused to attend. He wants to wait until the budget is over, which is entirely reasonable.

Also, Donohue has a point about court proceedings, while there is no active case yet, there will be. Everyone knows this.

As for Dixon being able to attend when the same court fear is live, she’s attending about something else as well and this is only a very tiny part of her appearance. Once again, John McGuinness is taking people for mugs again he’s grandstanding and in election campaign mode already.

I accept the headline is misleading and the article isn’t particularly well written but did you actually read it or did you see a headline and just jump straight to the comments?

Just read it.

@Bernard Sweeney: Budget is not a reason for giving a day at a hearing, What if he has to take a Sick day ? ?
Are we in trouble with the Budget,
Nonsensical excuse.

@James Keogh: and waterboard him if he refused to answer questions???

@GrahamMManning: Indeed my BS sweeping statement as you call it is Very Accurate and Very relevant . Again, I say Servants of the Public, not their Masters. You may very well be a nice person, that’s OK.

@James Gorman #FBPE: Twice to be sure to be Sure.

@Eugene Comaskey: yawn…repetition doesn’t make your nonsense any more accurate. Most public sector wages (relative to qualifications) are not “very large”. We are collectively not trying to “dominate” anyone. We’re not in “very privileged positions”, we’re doing our jobs. We can be sacked, though fair nuff in many instances it should be easier. Our sick leave/holiday conditions are in our contracts and a result of strong unions, not gonna apologise for that but would definitely encourage others to unionise. We neither bully the public nor “do as little work as possible” on a daily basis. Not saying no ps worker does but the vast majority do the exact opposite. So yes by and large your post is BS.

@GrahamMManning: Without saying much more, just look at the number or people who liked what I said initially , does that not make a statement, Public Servants , they are mostly sitting on their hands all day, talking about foreign holidays and drinking tea. Even minor applications to any Dept. takes ages, people won’t answer phones, too buisy, it can wait till tomorrow or the next day. I know the ropes, I seen them platted , waste of time. That’s it now.

@Eugene Comaskey: so the validity of your point is based on likes on here??? Ah Jebus kid you need a better barometer. So teachers (me), nurses, Gardai, social workers etc etc are all sitting on their arses, drinking tea and planning their hols all day??? Ur utterly clueless and the more you type the more you undermine ur own drivel.

@GrahamMManning: No Sir , I’m basing nothing on likes and here??? , I’m basing what I say on MY Experiences dealing with PS, and indeed having worked in there for 30 years, At first hand I saw the carry on, possibly like yourself , I did far too much, without much reward, only a clear conscience having done my very best. The Majority were dodging. My engagement with All PS Depts. in last 15/ 17 years has been very disappointing, nobody wants to do anything, and apparently couldn’t care less, I’ve met it at first hand, and I have also heard nothing positive from the General Public. Fair play to you for being pleasant to the public, But, you are in the Minority, so don’t bother your but defending them.

@Eugene Comaskey: Eugene can you not your own posts? Citing likes as a measure of your accuracy is exactly what you did. So you worked diligently for 30 years in the PS, I’ve done the same for the past 17 but most everyone else is “sitting on their hands all day talking about foreign holidays and drinking tea”? We just happen to be the 2 conscientious ones? What are the odds? Well in and hr and a half’s time I’ll be in a school full of people who fit the same description. Don’t project your own anecdotal experience onto hundreds of thousands of people. Are their lazy numpties in the PS? Course there are, they’re everywhere in every field. Your less than satisfactory experience doesn’t make them the majority.

@Denis McClean: Really? SF, the Greens, a flock of Healy Raes, Social Democrats, PBP, Shane Ross….the choices are delightful.

@Paul Furey: party’s are irrelevant! People with experience,knowledge and wisdom. Not college drop outs and chancers!

@Denis McClean: exactly that…. Anyone else

@Paul Furey: then it’s OK to vote for these self-serving FG shysters again?

@Leo Lalor: that’s why the next government will be the return of the FF/GP coalition with FG providing confidence and supply if needed.