Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 April 2026
333. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Taoiseach the role and function of the Civil Service Management Board; the composition of the board; and the number of meetings of the Civil Service Management Boards in 2024 and 2025. [28287/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Civil Service Management Board (CSMB) was established under the Civil Service Renewal Plan 2014 to bring together all Heads of Departments and major Offices into a cohesive whole-of-Government executive management team. The CSMB provides collective leadership to Civil Service Renewal and offers a forum for discussing shared issues and strengthening the performance of the Civil Service as a collective.
Under the Civil Service Renewal Plan 2014, the CSMB oversaw significant and lasting reform of the Civil Service. Key achievements across the four areas of the 2014 Plan include.
A unified Civil Service- establishment of a common governance standard for the Civil Service, the establishment of shared services across HR, payroll and pensions, the rollout of a shared Government of Ireland identity and gov.ie as a shared online platform for all departments
A professional Civil Service- development of a Civil Service wide People Strategy, executive leadership programmes for senior civil servants, rollout of a new performance management system and the establishment of OneLearning to deliver civil service-wide training
A responsive Civil Service– introduction of a new civil service mobility scheme, a standardised civil service project management approach, and initiatives under the Public Service ICT Strategy including the launch of MyGovID.ie and the introduction of several common IT applications across several government departments
An open and accountable Civil Service – implementation of a new system of organisational capability reviews, development of the whodoeswhat.gov.ie website, and a series of civil service wide employee engagement surveys.
The CSMB continues its oversight of renewal via Civil Service Renewal 2030, a ten-year strategy which builds on the achievements detailed above. It has three core themes: 1) Delivering evidence-informed policy and services; 2) Harnessing digital technology and embedding innovation; and 3) Building the Civil Service workforce, workplace, and organisation of the future.
The Civil Service Management Board is chaired by the Secretary General to the Government, and its membership consists of all Secretaries General of Departments and heads of major Offices.
The Board met a total of 10 times over the course of 2024 and 2025.
The role of the Civil Service Management Board is currently being reviewed to ensure that it remains aligned with the strategic priorities for the Civil Service.
