Trade unions want more money in a new public sector pay deal, which is fair enough. But the Government has no plan for what it wants in return except to minimise costs.

The money involved is important. A 1 per cent pay increase for more than 420,000 public workers costs about €430 million. Over a few years, multiplied by the increase agreed, that is billions baked into public spending as a recurring cost forever. But at least as important as the cost is the value.

Working from home was an unplanned change that, in some public organisations, is neither well managed nor credibly policed. It has some benefits for those who can, but many public sector workers like teachers and nurses can’t avail of it.

But over six years on since Covid, the unintended consequences are clear: remote working is insidiously undermining future leadership and effective delivery in the State from the bottom up. Certainly, process work in the Revenue, for example, can be successfully delivered remotely. But in departments with responsibility for both policy and delivery, then it is inevitable that cohesion, camaraderie and capacity will palpably suffer if most people – or many of them – spend most of their time out of the office.

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Too much of the public service whose pay will be increased do not know their organisation or the people in it as well as they should. There is a lack of daily interaction.........

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