Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 Nov 2003

Vol. 575 No. 3

Written Answers. - Departmental Staff.

Mary Upton

Question:

146 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Finance the reason recruitment to the Office of the Ombudsman is restricted to existing civil servants; if he will review this practice to facilitate the employment of staff in this office from outside the Civil Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28155/03]

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

The Civil Service Commissioners operate under the provisions of the Civil Service Commissioners Act 1956. They are responsible for the recruitment of civil servants to Departments and Government offices, including the Office of the Ombudsman, which includes the Office of the Information Commissioner and the secretariat to the Standards in Public Office Commission.

The commissioners hold open and confined competitions on a regular basis to fill vacancies that arise in Departments and offices. The candidature for open competitions is made up of non-civil servants and existing civil servants. The candidature for confined competitions is made up of existing civil servants. The commissioners then assign successful candidates from panels established from open or confined competitions to Departments and offices, which require staff including the Office of the Ombudsman. Therefore, recruitment of staff to the Office of the Ombudsman is not restricted to existing civil servants.

When the Office of the Ombudsman was first established, special competitions were held in the early 1980s for investigator at assistant principal level and senior investigator at principal level, posts which were open to non-civil servants. Special competitions were also held in 1998 and 2000 for the recruitment of staff to the Office of the Information Commissioner and were also open to non-civil servants.