Northern Ireland’s Auditor General says the Province’s Public Service is at a “critical crossroads”, struggling to cope with ballooning shortages of staff.
Kieran Donnelly (pictured) said almost 1,500 vacancies had yet to be filled and sickness levels remained the highest in the United Kingdom.
Mr Donnelly raised concerns about how Public Servants were being recruited and called for the system to be transformed.
He said to function effectively Departments needed to have the right people in the right place at the right time, and there had not been the strategic focus to ensure this was the case.
The Auditor General’s report shows that, on average, almost 13 working days were lost each year due to sickness per staff member, compared with between seven and eight days in other parts of the UK.
“This high sickness absence level across a head count of 22,000 can only have reduced the strength of Northern Ireland Civil Service’s capacity and capability, so addressing the area is clearly a matter of priority,” Mr Donnelly said.
He said anxiety, stress and depression among staff accounted for almost 40 per cent of the days lost.
The report revealed that 4,000 jobs were lost between 2015 and 2019, mainly through a voluntary exit scheme.
Mr Donnelly warned the Public Service was now facing unprecedented challenges because of welfare reform, preparations for leaving the European Union and dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
He noted with concern that the Public Service was still without a leader almost three months after the previous holder of the post, David Sterling, retired.
“Leaving such a void at a time when Civil Servants are battling a pandemic and preparing for Brexit is far from suitable and raises big questions about this recruitment process,” the Auditor General said.
“We may end up with an interim head of the Civil Service — yet another short-term solution to a long-term problem,” he said.
Belfast, 20 November, 2020
