Farren envisions vital role for civil service

The Minister of Finance and Personnel Seán Farren has outlined his vision of the vital role the civil service can play in helping to create an egalitarian and prosperous Northern Ireland workforce.

Speaking at a seminar in Belfast for senior personnel managers in the public sector, on Wednesday February 27, the Minister said: “Achieving a civil service that is modern, vibrant, innovative must be the result of a determined effort. This further requires a civil service that has equality, mutual trust, and respect for diversity as its core values, alongside its traditional public sector ethos.”

In its first Programme for Government, the Executive set out its vision of Northern Ireland as a society, Dr Farren said, in which people feel valued and respected, as well as one in which they are able to share in its growing prosperity. As such, the Minister said that while he recognised the progress already achieved in the area of equality of opportunity, it is imperative that this be built on.

“I want to see a civil service that attracts, and is attractive to, applicants from every sector of our society,” he said. “It must be a service that includes people from not just the two communities, but people with disabilities, and those of different ethnic backgrounds and lifestyles as well.

“In my view this is essential if the Northern Ireland Civil Service is to provide the community with the innovative and dynamic policies and services it needs to address the many problems we face.”

The seminar focused on ‘Perspectives on reasonable adjustment under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995’ in the context of the Executive’s commitments on the promotion of equality of opportunity and good relations.

(AMcE)