Key topic that has been explored and discussed over the two days was The European Crises and the implications for the role and services of Institutes and Schools of Public Administration.  More wider introduction on Economic Crises in Europe: Background, Progress and Challenges and Comparative European Perspective on Responses to the Crises was followed by detailed explanation on the ongoing Public Sector Reform in Ireland. Key words that are reflecting the scope and complexity of the reform are summarized in the statement of the respective Minister for Public Expenditures and Reform from 2011: “We are implementing the most comprehensive set of reforms since the foundation of the State”. The reform brings fundamental change of overall system of management and administration: “We are reforming how we manage people, how we manage expenditure, how we are organised and political framework”.  Guiding principles of the reform are: placing customer service at the core of everything administration do, maximasing new innovative service delivery channels, radically reducing administrative costs to drive better value for money, leading, organising and working in new way, strong focus on implementation and delivery.

Significant part of the meeting was focused also on the common difficulties in identification of the Public Values that are delivered by Institutes/Schools of Public Administration, their authorization and recognition by the Public and operational conditions for their delivery.

Irish Houses of Parliament and the Library at the Trinity College Library Dublin were visited during the meeting.