Vol. 527 No. 3
208 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Finance the circumstances under which former civil servants who left the service after being married or after career breaks might be able to rejoin the Civil Service based on their experience, range of employment and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28663/00]
Former civil servants are an important source of recruits to the Civil Service. Their experience since leaving the Civil Service, including, for example, further education, vocational training or other employment, enriches the contribution which they can make on resuming work in the Civil Service. In this context I am anxious to encourage former civil servants to consider returning to the Civil Service.
Former civil servants may rejoin the Civil Service by entering, and being successful at, the normal recruitment competitions run by the Civil Service Commission. These competitions are normally open to all appropriately qualified citizens. However, in recent years, the Civil Service Commission held clerical officer competitions confined to former civil servants. The competitions met with a satisfactory response from former civil servants, and it is intended to hold further such competitions confined to former civil servants, covering the executive officer grade as well as the clerical officer grade. I hope that these special competitions, along with the normal open recruitment competitions run by the Civil Service Commission, will offer former civil servants ample opportunity to return to the Civil Service.
