Public Appointments Service

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 June 2023

Wednesday, 14 June 2023

Questions (79)

Patrick Costello

Question:

79. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 250 of 22 November 2022, the current status of the review his predecessor directed in relation to the issue of the discriminatory position (details supplied); the legal statutory basis for such discriminatory treatment; the times and dates that the review team have met since November 2022 to review this issue; the list of attendees at each meeting; where the agenda and minutes of such meetings can be located in compliance with the Transparency Code; and when he expects to receive a report from the review team and act on the issue. [28763/23]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform

Posts in the Irish Civil Service are open to suitably qualified candidates who are nationals of an EU Member State, including Ireland, or the European Economic Area (EEA). Such individuals have the right under the EU Treaties to reside and take up employment in any EEA Member State. Non-EEA citizens do not benefit from these rights and do not automatically qualify to compete for these roles.

Until now, a Non-EEA national who has been granted permission to remain in the State (with a Stamp 4 visa) on one of the following grounds may apply for jobs in the civil service:

• Permission to remain as spouse or a dependent of an Irish/EEA national

• Permission to remain as the parent of an Irish citizen;

The above criteria were agreed in 2020 and represented an extension of the previous citizenship eligibility requirements.

My Department has engaged with relevant Departments and bodies a number of times in recent months to review the current eligibility criteria for non-EU/EEA candidates applying for employment in the Irish Civil Service. These Departments include Departments of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY); Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE); Justice and Public Appointment Service (PAS). As the Deputy will appreciate, it is important that any issues and implications of amending existing eligibility criteria be fully considered. I understand that a proposal on this matter is currently being finalised by my officials.