asked the Minister for Finance the grades within the public service which are precluded from joining a political party.
Written Answers. - Political Party Membership.
75.
The arrangements governing the involvement of civil servants in political activity are as follows: (1) Civil servants are not permitted to stand for election to either House of the Oireachtas, or to the European Parliament. This restriction applies to all categories of staff. (2) Civil servants in the industrial categories and in manipulative, sub-clerical and manual grades are free to engage in political activity, subject to the general restriction in relation to parliamentary elections. (3) Members of the clerical classes in the Civil Service, and civil servants in non-manipulative grades with salary maxima equal to or below the clerical officer maximum, may apply for permission to engage in politics on the same basis as the staff referred to at (2), but officers employed on particular types of work may have their applications refused. (4) All civil servants above the clerical level are totally debarred from engaging in politics. Personal assistants and special advisers in Ministers' offices are exempt from the present arrangements covering State employees and politics.
My direct responsibility in this matter does not extend to other areas of the public service. However, my information is that the only other categories of staff in the public service who are totally debarred from involvement in politics are members of the Garda Síochána and of the Permanent Defence Forces.