Jim O'Keeffe
Question:93 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Finance the rules currently applying to State employees in relation to involvement in politics.
Written Answers. - State Employees' Involvement in Politics.
The arrangements governing the involvement of civil servants in political activity are as follows: (a) civil servants are not permitted to stand for election to either House of the Oireachtas or to the European Assembly — this restriction applies to all categories of staff; (b) civil servants in the industrial categories and in the manipulative, sub-clerical and manual grades are free to engage in political activity, subject to the general restriction in relation to parliamentary elections — civil servants in this category may, therefore, contest local elections; (c) members of the clerical grades in the Civil Service and civil servants in non-manipulative grades with salary maxima equal to or below the Clerical Officer maximum may apply for permission to engage in politics on the same basis as the staff referred to at (b) but officers employed on particular types of work may have their applications refused; (d) all civil servants above clerical level are totally debarred from engaging in politics. However, at a meeting of the Government held on 11 July 1985, it was decided that Personal Assistants and Special Advisers in Ministers' Offices are to be exempt from the present arrangements covering State employees and politics.