Bernadette Connaughton

‘Glorified Gofers, Policy Experts or Good Generalists’: A Classification of the Roles of the Irish Ministerial Adviser

Abstract Since 1973 ministerial advisers have become a permanent feature in the political–administrative nexus of Irish government and other countries derived from the Westminster model. This article puts forward a classification of the adviser’s role in the policy‐making process which may consist of singular or overlapping profiles of an expert, partisan, coordinator and minder. In conjunction, results from a survey and interviews conducted with a group of advisers serving in the Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrat government of 2002–2007 are presented in order to understand the adviser’s own assessments of the value and effects of what they do in government. Their profiles, motivations for service and the concrete tasks they carried out within (vertically) and outside (horizontal) government departments are examined. It is argued that the role of the Irish ministerial adviser best fits with the ‘minder’ category but that as a collective there is potential for advisers to contribute more effectively to the political coordination of policy‐making.

Navigating the Borderlines of Politics and Administration: Reflections on the Role of Ministerial Advisers

Ministerial advisers are actors serving democratically appointed ministers, and they occupy a position in the borderlines of politics and administration. Throughout history, rulers have relied on advisers for counsel and support, and there is increasing interest in interpreting this role in its contemporary context. This article reflects on the existing empirical work on the Irish case which offered a classification of adviser types and seeks to outline links with the wider literature on politico-administrative relations and core executive studies to illustrate ministerial advisers’ activities.

Reform of Politico‐administrative Relations in the Irish System: Clarifying or Complicating the Doctrine of Ministerial Responsibility?

Abstract There is now widespread acknowledgement that the traditional notion of ministerial responsibility is itself no longer satisfactory and can no longer serve as the sole constitutional touchstone of accountability. However, attempts to reform and give clarity to what is regarded as an outmoded system with the introduction of managerialist ideas such as letting ‘the managers manage’ have not always led to the effectiveness envisaged. This discussion aims to investigate political and managerial accountability in Ireland using the case of the illegal charging of long term residents in state nursing homes since 1976 and the subsequent Travers report that investigated this issue in 2005. The case illustrates that the recent legislative reform seeking to clarify political/managerial roles does not appear to have had the anticipated and desired impact and that the growth in ministerial advisers also seems to complicate interpretations of accountability. The article illustrates the complexities of political/managerial roles for ministers, civil servants and political advisers and underlines the enduring ambiguity concerning the long‐standing principle of ministerial responsibility.

Ireland's pragmatic adaptation to regionalization: the Mid-West region

Ireland is perceived as perhaps the most effective user of EU structural and cohesion funds. Involvement in the EU has contributed significantly to the emergence of the Celtic Tiger. Using regional policy as a lens, this article explores Irelands pragmatic adaptation to European policy. The article examines the Irish socio-economic context, the significance of its institutions and the level of social capital as a context for exploring the countrys adaptation to EU membership and the evolution of its regional policy structures. A more detailed analysis of the impact of adaptation to EU regional policy in the Mid-West region is carried out by means of social network analysis. The patterns of adaptation and institutional and policy learning amongst the main governmental and non-governmental actors in the Mid-West region are examined and conclusions are drawn about the “goodness of fit” between Irelands existing institutions and the EUs regional policy processes and instruments.

A Rubik's Cube Dilemma? The Implementation of European Union Waste-Management Policy in Ireland

Abstract Irelands engagement with European Union (EU) waste-management policy has been characterized by low issue salience and an ambiguous response from the public administration system which tolerated weak regulation despite the introduction of the waste framework directive in 1975. Irelands serial non-compliance with EU legislation eventually culminated in a significant 2005 judgement from the Court of Justice of the EU in Case 494/01 which referred to a systematic failure in the application of waste rules. This forced the Irish authorities to address the fragmented nature of waste-management implementation and adopt a more effective and coordinated enforcement system. Against this backdrop Irelands efforts to translate EU environmental directives into action are explored through the case of the Landfill Directive 99/31/EC. Top-down and bottom-up perspectives from implementation theory are used to interpret how public administration has adapted to the challenges of formal and practical implementation. This is complemented by empirical findings drawn from a survey and interviews with officials and waste-management stakeholders. It is argued that while Irelands performance in waste management has improved, its progress to meet the targets of the directive has been frustrated by the structural shortcomings in the design of an appropriate implementation structure.

Political-administrative relations: the role of political advisers

Abstract Ministerial advisers were first formally appointed as support for individual Irish ministers in 1973, and since then their numbers and tasks have considerably expanded. As ‘temporary civil servants’, they are regarded as both an accepted and criticised feature of executive government. This article focuses on the role of political staff during the period 2011-16 and centres on the period of the economic crisis and its immediate aftermath. It considers themes arising in the international literature that raise questions for the reform of the Irish ‘special adviser’. In order to unpack the specifics of the Irish case, the position and function of special advisers are explored through two theoretical perspectives - public adviser bargains and the core executive. It is argued that the special adviser continues to fit somewhat uneasily within the imperatives of the political-administrative system because they are personally appointed by ministers and their selection is determined by the level and type of support required by individual ministers, as opposed to any preordained skills set.