A senior civil servant says it should be easier to sack public servants who are not performing.

Robert Watt says the public service has struggled to deal with underperformance, and he says that needs to change.

Mr Watt - who runs the Department of Public Expenditure - says public workers in Britain can be sacked if they are not up to speed.

He told the MacGill Summer School in Glenties, Co Donegal, that failing staff in Ireland should be treated in the same way:

Robert Watt is hoping his comments will spark a debate on whether it should be easier to let go of bad workers.