as part of a drive to deliver better government, ireland's unfair dismissals acts 1977–2001 are about to be extended to civil servants. the civil service (regulation) bill 2004 when enacted will apply the statutory code of unfair dismissal to thousands of officers whose remedies previously lay exclusively in public law. while preserving the principle that civil servants hold office at the will and pleasure of the government, the bill provides for the delegation of power in this respect from the government to ministers and to secretaries general. mary redmond, consultant solicitor at arthur cox considers the practical and, above all the legal implications of this stepchange.