Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 June 2018
211. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the Public Appointments Service did not run a competition for technical agricultural officers as previously advertised in February 2018; if the qualification levels have changed for these positions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27362/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraA campaign to recruit Technical Agricultural Officers was advertised by the Public Appointments Service on behalf of my Department on 15th April 2016 with a closing date of 5th May 2016. Two rounds of the competition were undertaken throughout late 2016 and the first half of 2017.
It was intended to hold a third round of that competition in early 2018, and it is this phase to which I presume that the Deputy refers in this question. In respect of this latter phase, and taking account of the time that had passed from the campaign initiation and advertisement, the Public Appointments Service considered the time lapse between the original round of applications and the proposed third round to be too great. A further consideration was that people who would have become eligible for the competition in late 2016 and throughout 2017 would not have the opportunity to participate.
Taking the above into account, it was decided appropriate to initiate and advertise a revised campaign. The current competition for the role of Technical Agricultural Officer was advertised on 18th May with a closing date of 7th June 2018.
The qualifications required for the current competition are broadly the same as those specified in the 2016 competition, namely a level 6 Advanced Certificate in Agriculture or Horticulture. An appropriate broadening with respect of the range of courses that are acceptable has been incorporated by allowing for courses considered equivalent to the above in areas such as animal health, animal welfare, plant health and food safety to be included in making applications.
