Is the Idea that Northern Ireland is Over-Governed a Myth?

Derek BirrellSchool of Criminology, Politics and Social Policy

University of Ulster

Aims

Examine the widely expressed view that Northern Ireland is over-governed and the public sector is very large

Note that this presupposes a comparison with other countries or with a perceived standard or benchmark

Examine evidence using comparison with Scotland and Wales and principles of public sector modernisation

Five Aspects Examined

Local government

Quangos / public bodies

Government departments

Assembly and MLAs

Overall size of public sector

Local Government SystemsCountry Number of

councilsCommunity

councilsAverage

populationWorkforce 2011/12

Northern Ireland

26 - 69,000 10,000

11 - 166,000

Scotland 32 [1,200] 163,000 274,000

Wales  22 [735] 140,000 174,000

England  434   [8,700] 139,000 2,120,000

Republic of Ireland

41 81 town councils

70,000 or 43,000

Results of Comparison

Very limited functions

Quite large populations

No community / town tier

Very small workforce

Reforms will make little change

No strong local government or super councils

Loss of Localism

Increased public participation

Local responsiveness

Strengthening local communities

Increase local accountability

Efficiency gains

Quangos and Public Bodies

Large sector in Northern Ireland

Policy of reducing quangos

Outcome maintains size of overall sector

Establishment of centralised or very large quangos

Examples of ESA and health and social care bodies

Education and Skills Authority Too large a population

Delivering a very wide range of functions

Compatibility with devolved central department

Not responsive to local communities and needs

Power rests with small number of appointed people

Does not provide public and user participation

Large unwieldy bureaucracy likely to be inefficient

Health and Social Care Boards

Boards and Trusts are large in population comparative to GB

Extensive range of functions covering; primary health, hospitals, adult social care, children’s care

Based on quango model of appointed boards

Limits public and user participation

Not responsive to local needs and communities

Resulted in problems with planned commissioner /provider split

Resulted in proposals for 17 integrated care partnerships

Resulted in hospitals not having own management structure

Government Departments (1) Northern Ireland has 12 separate government

departments

Based on ministerial department model from Whitehall

Problem not really number

Reduction to 6/7 will not reduce functions of central administration and savings likely to be limited

Question is whether system is compatible with working of devolution and joined up governance

Government Departments (2) Scotland has moved from departments to 31 Directorates

Wales has a strongly integrated system if central administration

Both do not always match ministers portfolios to administration units

Question of political compatibility with 1998 Agreement and power-sharing arrangements

Size of Assembly Scotland has 129, Wales has 60 and Northern Ireland108

Justification for extra representation

Necessary as part of 1998 arrangements to have wide representation of political views

Scotland and Wales do not require as many representatives proportionately because of more major role of and powers of local councillors

Note that Assembly could increase workload; other committees, more full inquiries and more scrutiny over quangos

Public Sector EmploymentEmployed

public sector Percentage of all employed

Percentage of working age

Northern Ireland 213,000 27.7 18.4

Scotland 581,000 23.5 17.3

Wales 333,000 25.6 18.5

England 4,600,000 19.6 11.2

UK 6,058,000 20.4 11.8

Source ONS [2012]

Conclusions Governance is not particularly large compared to Scotland

and Wales

Local government is small with few powers

Major quangos are often too centralised and large

Government departments functions must remain and number is not key issue

Workforce is not excessively large

Danger of reducing governance arrangements of being not appropriate for; devolution; modernisation of public sector; dealing with democratic deficits