Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 November 2014
364. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the panel for the recruitment of clerical officers in the public service established in 2007-2008 will be the basis for recruitment in the near future or will a new round of applications and a new panel be established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41202/14]
View answerRecruitment to the civil service and a range of other public bodies is handled under the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004 which established a central recruitment agency, the Public Appointments Service (PAS), for this purpose. The PAS operates under licence from the Commission for Public Service Appointments and is independent in its operations.
No public service Clerical Officer panels for permanent appointment are currently active due to the lapse of time since competitions were run. As the Deputy is aware, there has been a moratorium in place since 2008 which has severely curtailed recruitment to permanent positions, other than to those with critical replacement needs and key skills shortages. The last competition of this type was launched in 2007 and will not be revisited for offers of appointment at this stage.
In June of this year the Public Appointments Service (PAS) advertised a recruitment competition to fill permanent clerical positions which may arise in the civil and public Service. In excess of 28,000 applications were received. The PAS will establish panels of suitably qualified individuals from which public service organisations may draw.
Interviewing is currently underway for approximately 300 Clerical Officer positions which it is expected will be filled over the next two years. These Clerical Officers will take up positions across the Civil Service and opportunities in the the wider public service may also arise in agencies, local authorities and the HSE.
