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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 22 Jan 1997

Written Answers. - Civil Service Rules.

Seamus Brennan

Question:

124 Mr. S. Brennan asked the Minister for Finance the grades of civil servants who are obliged to adhere to the terms of Circular 21/32, entitled 'Civil Servants and Politics'; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1460/97]

The rules on civil servants and political activity fall into two categories; restrictions on standing for election to political office and rules regarding the maintenance of political impartiality. Restrictions on civil servants standing for election are set out in circulars of 1925, 1934 and 1974. The restrictions were relaxed somewhat by the Government in 1974 and the current arrangements 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 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, personal assistants and special advisers in ministers' offices, whose terms of appointment are coterminous with those of the relevant appointing Minister, are exempt from the present arrangements covering State employees and politics.

The requirements in the area of official political impartiality are contained in circular 21 of 1932. That circular prohibits an official from making public statements on any matter of current political interest, or which concern the political action or position of the Government or of any member or group of members of the Oireachtas. The circular also contains a prohibition on officials being members of an association or committee which seeks to advance the interests of a political party or to promote or prevent the return of a particular candidate to the Dáil. The provisions of circular 21/32 are to be applied in the light of the relaxation of restrictions on engaging in political activity for certain grades announced by the Government in 1974 and referred to at (b) and (c) above. Civil servants are advised to consult the Head of their Department for any clarification of the rules required or where any doubt arises as to the propriety of their engaging in activities of a political nature.

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