Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 27 May 1999

Vol. 505 No. 5

Written Answers. - Civil Service Appointments.

Liam Aylward

Question:

75 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Finance the reason successful candidates in the open competition for appointment to the posts as clerical assistant typists and placed on a panel in August 1998 for the Waterford area have not been offered employment; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that full-time and permanent vacancies are being filled by FÁS on a temporary basis; if their names are still on a panel; and when they will be offered a position. [14183/99]

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

The filling of vacancies in the Civil Service is undertaken by the Civil Service Commissioners, at the request of Departments and Offices when vacancies occur. The Commissioners have been requested to fill two permanent clerical typist vacancies in Waterford and are currently considering candidates for these vacancies. Further candidates will be considered for such positions in Waterford as vacancies are notified to the Commissioners.

The position in relation to the filling of vacancies on a temporary basis through FÁS is that during the course of 1998 the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs experienced a build up of clerical staff vacancies in its services in Waterford. This build up of vacancies was exacerbated by difficulties in sourcing recruits through the normal channels. In an effort to alleviate the staffing difficulties, which were approaching critical proportions, the Department decided, with the approval of the Department of Finance, to employ temporary staff on a limited term contract basis. In order to expedite the process of obtaining temporary staff a list of potentially suitable people was obtained from FÁS. Potential temporary staff identified in this way were invited to apply for temporary posts and, following a competitive process, seven temporary clerical officers were appointed in August of 1998. Concurrent with the employment of the temporary staff the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs continued in its efforts to obtain the permanent staff needed to fill vacancies on an ongoing basis. The contracts of the temporary staff recruited in this manner will expire in August of 1999 and will not be renewed.