Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 July 2015
249. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on the opportunity and prospects for the promotion for existing civil servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29949/15]
View answerRecruitment to the Civil Service is regulated by the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004.
The Act established the Public Appointments Service (PAS) as the centralised recruitment body for the Civil and Public Service. The Act also established the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) as the regulator of civil service recruitment. The CPSA publishes codes of practice setting out how competitions are run and also issues recruitment licences to individual Departments to allow them to conduct their own recruitment. The majority of recruitment to the Civil Service is carried out by PAS.
Recruitment competitions are advertised on the PAS website: www.publicjobs.ie. By logging on to this website, individuals can also register to be notified by e-mail or text message of vacancies as they arise.
The following competitions across a broad range of Civil Service grades have recently been completed or are ongoing at present:
- Temporary Clerical Officer
- Clerical Officer;
- Administrative Officer (i.e. the graduate recruitment grade for the Civil Service), for general service as well as for the Irish Government Economic Evaluation Service (IGEES);
- Executive Officer (both for general service and for the ICT area);
- Assistant Principal Officer and
- Principal Officer.
These competitions are open to all including existing civil servants and many civil servants do well in these competitions.
Since earlier this year, Government Departments and bodies now have greater autonomy in managing staff resources to meet service needs, including hiring staff where warranted, subject to remaining within agreed pay ceilings and meeting reform and efficiency objectives. Subject to sanction Departments may also hold internal competitions.
The Deputy should also note that in July 2011, a report was issued by the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) regarding eligibility criteria for promotion of staff in the civil service. The report recommended that:
'in establishing eligibility criteria for promotion to positions in the Civil Service, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform should remove any criteria that may prevent civil servants with the requisite skills, experience and attributes from applying for promotion positions.'
This means that eligibility for all recruitment and promotion competitions are now more widely open than previously and that eligibility is open to all grades below that of the post being filled.
Further consideration will be given throughout 2015 and 2016 to resourcing and staffing needs for the Civil Service.
