The Jobs Minister has said the public needs to be more understanding of civil servants who take risks – and more forgiving of those who mess up, rather than breeding the ‘ah-ha’ culture that sees “anyone who takes a chance ... pilloried for their mistake.”

Richard Bruton says the public service needs to have a culture where people are able to make ambitious decisions.

Bruton has suggested that public servants are stifled by the threat of public shaming if their programmes don't work out.

And he says the public needs to be more understanding of people who take a risk

“If citizens don’t engage you’ll breed the ‘ah-ha’ culture, that anyone who takes a chance, who takes risk, who tries to take innovation and fails are caught out,” he said.

“They are the ones hauled In front of the public accounts committee and pilloried for their mistake and the result that came from it,” he added.