Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 October 2014
19. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of contracts of indefinite duration that have been sought and the number that have been granted in the years 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014 in the public sector under the remit of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38261/14]
View answerOn a general point, the Deputy is probably aware that a contract of indefinite duration (CID) is similar to a permanent contract and can arise by operation of law under the Protection of Employees (Fixed Term Work) Act 2003. Under the provisions of this Act, if an employee is employed on two or more successive fixed term contracts in continuous employment for a period of four years then extending that contract for a further fixed term is unlawful (unless the employer can justify the award of a further fixed term contract on objective grounds), and the employee is entitled to a contract of indefinite duration.
It is a matter for Human Resource Units in all Departments/Agencies etc. to have procedures in place for dealing with the recruitment and employment of fixed-term employees and the management of their contracts. My Department issues Guidelines on "Best Practice for the Recruitment and Management of Fixed-term Employees in the Irish Civil Service". These are revised from time to time as required. The most recent version issued in April 2014 and took account of changes arising as result of the Single Pension Scheme and the Haddington Road Agreement. The Guidelines can be found on my Department's HR Management website at http://hr.per.gov.ie/recruitment-policy/
The position in relation to my own Department and those Offices under its aegis is as follows:
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
My Department was established in July 2011 and in the period since then there has only been one request for a contract of indefinite duration. This was refused on the grounds that the person concerned did not qualify for such a contract.
Office of Public Works
The Office of Public Works received requests for contracts of indefinite duration from three of its State Industrial Employees and all three were granted CIDs
Valuation Office
The Valuation Office issued two contracts of indefinite duration to cleaning staff since 2007.
