THE CHANGING ROLES OF THE IRISH DEPARTMENT SECRETARY

What is the relationship between the minister, who has legal responsib ility for a department and the secretary the permanent principal offic er, in a parliamentary system? Joseph F. Zimmerman reviewed the litera ture and interviewed sitting and retired secretaries and former minist ers in the Republic of Ireland. Employing four models, the author exam ines the legal and informal relationships that exist between a ministe r and a secretary and the political culture within which they operate. The changing roles of the secretary and the impact of the Top-Level A ppointments Committee are analyzed with particular emphasis on the pol icy advice role of the secretary. The author concludes that the policy advice rot has declined; the secretary is primarily a coordinator of the activities of the various divisions within the department, and a c ooperation model explains the relationship between a minister and a se cretary.