Archive:Public employment - Ireland
- Data from Month Year. Most recent data: Further Eurostat information, Main tables and Database.
This article is part of a set of background articles and introduces the public employments statistics in the Member State of the European Union (EU), Ireland.
Regional and administrative organisation
Introduction
In 1949, the Irish State was declared the Irish Republic, which joined the UNO in 1955 and the EEC, now the EU in 1973.
The Constitution of Ireland, approved on 1st July 1937, establishes that, “the name of the State is Éire, or in the English language Ireland”. For all official documents, including international relations and other legal documents, the Irish Government uses the name of Ireland, as well as Éire for documents written in Irish. The Irish Constitution establishes that “the State is a sovereign, independent, democratic state”.
System of government
The President of the Republic: The President of Ireland, who acts as Head of State, is elected for a seven-year term and is only eligible for re-election once. His/her powers are largely ceremonial, although she/he has certain constitutional powers, assisted by the Council of State, a consultative body. The Irish Constitution establishes that in the event of the absence of the President, the powers and functions conferred on the President shall be performed by a Commission consisting of the Chief Justice (President of the Supreme Court), the Chairman of the House of Representatives Dáil Éireann (An Ceann Comhairle), and the Chairman of the Senate (Seanad Éireann).
The Taoiseach (Prime Minister) is nominated by Dáil Éireann and appointed by the President. The Taoiseach is normally the leader of the political party that obtains the most seats in the legislative elections. Governments are often formed by coalitions, and there has not been a single ruling party since the 1987-1989 term of office.
The National Parliament (Oireachtas) consists of the President and two Houses, namely Dáil Éireann (the House of Representatives) and Seanad Éireann (the Senate). Each House of Parliament elects its own Chairman and Deputy Chairman from its members; it can make its own Standing Orders (rules) and no person may be at the same time a member of both Houses of Parliament.
Dáil Éireann, or the House of Representatives consists of members representing the constituencies defined by law and its members are also determined by law. There must be at least one Member for every 20,000 to 30,000 people. Elections are held using the proportional representation system. Dáil Éireann is elected for a maximum term of 5 years.
Seanad Éireann or the Senate is composed of 60 Members, of which eleven are appointed and forty-nine are elected. Appointed members of the Senate are named by the Taoiseach. Elected members of the Senate shall be elected as follows: three shall be elected by graduates of the National University of Ireland, three shall be elected by graduates of the University of Dublin, and, forty-three shall be elected by panels of candidates. Elected members are elected using a proportional representation system.
The Government consists of at least seven and no more than fifteen members, who shall be appointed by the President in accordance with the provisions set out in the Constitution. The Government is accountable to the House of Representatives and meets and acts as a collective body and is jointly and severally liable.
The Head of the Government or Prime Minister (Taoiseach) keeps the President informed of any matter of national or international policy, and shall appoint the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government (Tánaiste). The Taoiseach (Prime Minister), the Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) and the Minister for Finance must be members of the House of Representatives, whilst the other members of the Government must be members of either the House of Representatives or the Senate, but no more than two may be members of the Senate.
The Judicial System: There are Courts of First Instance and a Court of Final Appeal. The Courts of First Instance consist of a High Court invested with full jurisdiction and power to determine all matters and questions whether of civil or criminal law. The Courts of First Instance consists of District Courts whose sentences may be appealed. The Court of Final Appeal is called the Supreme Court. Its members and the judges of the other courts are appointed by the President of the Republic.
Regional organisation
Ireland is divided into four Provinces, Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster, and 32 counties. Six of Ulster’s nine counties form Northern Ireland (and are governed by the United Kingdom) and the remaining 26 counties form the Republic of Ireland. The four Provinces do not have separate administrative status and are merely cultural. From an administrative point of view, twenty of the counties in the Republic are local government units. The other six have more than one local authority in their area, making a total of thirty-four authorities at county level. However, Tipperary is a special case, as it is divided into North Tipperary and South Tipperary. The electoral areas of the Republic of Ireland are called constituencies.
Public administration
The Strategic Management Initiative, which was launched in 1994, set the agenda for change in the Irish Civil Service. The objectives were to ensure that, on an ongoing basis, the Public Service would make a greater contribution to national development, be a provider of excellent services to the public and make effective use of resources.
The Report Delivering Better Government, published in 1996, gave clear direction to the programme for change and modernisation. It expanded on the framework set out in the Strategic Management Initiative and outlined an extensive modernisation process, built around key organisational themes. These included greater openness and accountability, a mission of quality customer service, and the efficient and fair operation of simplified regulations.
During that time there have been significant improvements in the areas of:
human resources management;
financial management;
regulatory reforms; and
eGovernment.
There has been a very significant step change in the way the Civil Service not only deals with its customers but also in the manner in which it organises its internal business. Basic changes have been made in the way in which pay is determined and staff have accepted real changes in terms and working conditions. At the same time, Departments and Offices continue to operate within a cap on numbers, and their administrative budget allocations are set to reflect this.
Central to this is developing a more performance-oriented culture. Throughout the life cycle of civil servants, from their entry into the Civil Service right through until they retire, initiatives have been introduced which are aimed at increasing the focus on performance and on the levels of accountability, both at the level of the organisation and the individual.
At the level of the organisation, the preparation of strategy statements and annual business plans is now a well accepted part of the yearly work cycle. The introduction of output statements is aimed at clearly linking resources with outputs and outcomes, and demands a rigorous approach to the management of all resources across the Civil Service.
At the level of the individual, the Performance Management & Development System (PMDS) is now a well accepted part of each individuals work. While the system originally provided a map for each staff member’s development and an opportunity to discuss both performance and development with their supervisor, the recent integration of the system with other HR processes – such as the award of increments and eligibility to apply for promotion – increases the level of accountability of the individual to perform well and means that it must be operated in a way which is both tangible and durable.
One of the most critical drivers of change within the Civil Service is ensuring an effective approach to the management of human resources. Human resources are the main resource available to the Civil Service, and real improvements in service delivery can only be brought about by ensuring the availability of a skilled and talented workforce that is committed to delivering excellent services to the public.
In order to strengthen the skill levels entering the Civil Service, open recruitment beyond the traditional entry levels has been introduced, with targets set for recruitment by open competition for the grades of:
Principal – 2 in 9 of all grades;
Assistant Principal – 1 in 5 of all grades;
Higher Executive Officer – 1 in 6 of all grades; and
Executive Officer – 1 on 2 of all grades.
Since the end of 2006 all Top Level Appointments Commission (TLAC) competitions for the grade of Assistant Secretary have been advertised openly.
A new recruitment framework has also been introduced which allows Departments and Offices to recruit directly under licence. This flexibility is intended to allow organisations across the public sector speedy access to the skills they need. Such flexibility is vital in an increasingly competitive employment market where the public service seeks to be the employer of choice. There has also.
There is a greater use of competitive merit-based promotion procedures, with the target of a minimum of 75% of all internal promotions posts in each grade being filled through competitive merit-based processes being met or exceeded in most areas. In a small number of areas where the target has not been met, the Departments and Offices concerned are pursuing the issue through local discussions.
Public Employment Structure
Legal Basis: Legislative changes introduced in the Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Act 2005 and the Public Service Management Act 1997 mean that Secretaries General and Heads of Office are now more directly responsible for the management of staff. In turn, they can also further delegate the responsibility for the management of staff to other managers at all levels in their organisations.
Structure: Civil Service Model - Staff Categories
Organizational Structure:
The Irish Civil Service consists of two streams - a general service stream comprising the majority of the service charged with carrying out general administrative work and a professional and technical stream that addresses specialist work such as accounting and engineering.
Civil servants are responsible for a wide range of activities within the Civil Service. The main objective of civil servants is to implement government policy and provide services to citizens. As for the activities performed, it is necessary to differentiate between general posts and technical or professional positions. Officers serving in the grades of Clerical Officer, Administrative Officer, Executive Officer, Higher Executive Officer and Assistant Principal Officer occupy general service posts. Other staff serve in specialised posts such as accountants, architects, chemists, engineers, lawyers and forestry engineers.
Partnership in the Irish Civil Service: National Background to Development of Partnership
The social partnership agreement –Partnership 2000– on pay and social and economic matters provided for the establishment of new forms of trade union and employee involvement in the change management process across the private and public sectors under the term ‘’partnership’’. A key part of the rationale for the development of partnership at the level of individual organisations was that it had been a very successful process at the level of the economy. Partnership provides a mechanism whereby the social partners at the level of sectors and organisations could replicate the partnership approach that had been developed at national level around joint objective setting and non-confrontational problem solving.
Following the conclusion of this agreement, discussion took place within the main sectors of the public services as to how partnership should be structured and developed in each sector. Sectoral level partnership agreements were subsequently concluded in the civil service, local government, the health sector, the institutes of technology and third level education.
Background to Development of Partnership in the Irish Civil Service
In respect of the civil service, Partnership 2000 provided that the initial focus of the partnership process would be directed at the development and implementation of action programmes to progress the modernisation of the civil service.
Partnership 2000 set out the governing principles for the development of partnership at sectoral and organisation levels. The objectives of the partnership approach were described as ‘’…to ensure that, in each department and office through consultation and the participation and co-operation of all concerned, there is, firstly, common ownership by management, unions and staff of the development and implementation of the action programmes, and secondly, a new participative approach to resolving issues and challenges generally.’’
Employee Categories
In Ireland, the concept of a Senior Civil Service is not formally defined in the Irish civil service. Government Departments are headed by a Secretary-General supported by a small cadre of senior management at the level of Assistant Secretary. These grades occupy the first and second level on the administrative hierarchical scale. The third and fourth levels include the Principal Officers and the Assistant Principals are not considered as belonging to the Senior Civil Service.
Career opportunities within the civil service are extremely diverse and public employees have the opportunity to work on diverse activities ranging from the health sphere to the provision of various administrative services. Civil servants work as part of a team, and to reinforce this idea, they often create clubs and sports teams, which give civil servants the opportunity to socialise and create personal ties.
Appointments to Senior Posts in the Irish Civil Service
Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC)
The Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) was established in 1984 by a Government decision. TLAC recommends candidates for the most senior appointments in the Civil Service. Subject to certain exceptions, TLAC deals with all posts at or above Assistant Secretary (Deputy Director General) level or equivalent across the Civil Service. Eligibility to compete for posts at Secretary General level is confined to existing Assistant Secretaries in the established Civil Service. Officials at this level are always established Civil Servants who have been selected through a statutory selection process that is independent of political influence. (Irish Civil Servants above the grade of clerical officer (entry level) are forbidden from taking an active role in part in politics.)
Appointing Authority
The Government is the appointing authority for posts at Secretary General (Director General) level. In accordance with a decision of the Government, TLAC recommends up to three candidates, if found suitable, for posts at this level. The Government appoints the Secretary General from among the recommended candidates.
Secretary-General (Director General) level posts
The Committee itself screens and short-lists the candidates and usually devotes a full day to meeting the short-listed candidates before making its recommendation. Because these posts are the most senior posts at official level in departments, the Government decided that up to three candidates, if found suitable, are to be recommended in alphabetical order. The final decision is made by the Government. In the case of Secretary-General posts, the outgoing Secretary-General participates as a full member of the Committee.
Secretary General posts where TLAC does not make recommendations and the right of appointment rests with the Government
Secretary General to the Government and to Department of the Taoiseach (Office of the Prime Minister).
Second Secretary General, Department of the Taoiseach (Office of the Prime Minister).
Secretary General, Public Service Management Division, Department of Finance.
Secretary General, Department of /Foreign Affairs.
Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners.
Appointees nominated under this process are established career Civil Servants and are not political appointments in the sense of being party political nominees.
Tenure
The tenure is usually for 7 years but if, on appointment as Secretary General, a person is between 56 and 60 years of age, the Government may, at its discretion, (a) waive that person’s obligation to retire at 60 and (b) permit the person to serve as Secretary General for a period not exceeding 4 years in any case.
Removal from office
The appropriate authority (competent authority) for the dismissal of an Irish Civil Servant (including a Secretary General, i.e. the most senior Civil Servant in a Department) is the Government of Ireland. The Civil Service Regulation Acts 1956 - 2005, provide tht: “Every established civil servant shall hold office at the will and pleasure of the Government.”
Before the dismissal of any Irish civil servant, the most important consideration would be to ensure that due process was followed in every detail of the dismissal procedure (i.e. that the rights of the civil servant were protected at every stage of the dismissal process). This applies to all Civil Servants.
Statistics: According to official figures, in June 2008 there were 291 senior civil servants in the Irish Civil Service. Fifty three were women (18%) and 238 (82%) were men. Of the 29,718 people in the Irish civil service 18,859 are women and 10,866 are men. A higher proportion of women serve in the lower grades of the Irish civil service e.g. there are 10,175 women in the grade of CO (Clerical Officer) compared with 3,324 men.
Rights, obligations, principles and values
Individual Rights: There are no differences with respect to those analysed in other countries. However, it must be mentioned that the right to training and professional career development are the rights that have been developed most in recent years in the different regulatory texts among a wide catalogue of rights in the civil service sphere.
Collective Rights: Civil servants have social rights such as the right to strike, to collective bargaining and to hold collective agreements. However, there are some limitations to these social rights. For example, in the case of the right to strike and in turn, there are mechanisms to resolve disputes among public employees and the Public Administration.
Career-based system. Training
In general, the Irish administrative system is a career-based system although civil servants are recruited via different recruitment systems. The career-based system and horizontal promotion work in a similar way to the Spanish system. The senior positions on the hierarchical scale are usually advertised openly. The Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) plays an important role in this sphere, as it is responsible for deciding whether a position should be filled as part of an open competition. Once civil servants have been recruited they are assigned to a particular Department or Government Office.
The administrative career of a civil servant is not static and mobility across Departments and Offices is a common feature in a civil servant’s career.
Remuneration
The remuneration system consists of a base salary that varies in accordance with the grade to which the civil servant belongs. When the civil servant enters the civil service, an initial remuneration is determined in accordance with his/her grade. Each grade has a specific pay scale. Rates of pay are approved by the Department of Finance. The salaries of politicians and senior civil servants are reviewed every four years by the Advisory Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector. Its recommendations are generally approved by the government, which is the primary decision maker in this area.
Since 2002, a variable annual performance award may be paid to Deputy-Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries in addition to their base salary. These performance-related awards can reach up to a maximum of 20% of the base salary, with a limit of 10% of the payroll for the group as a whole.
The performance-related pay, while not part of the basic salary of Assistant Secretaries and Deputy Secretaries in the civil service and of related grades in other parts of the public service has formed part of their remuneration package since 2001, on foot of a recommendation by the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Service in its Report No. 38. The Review Body recommended that 10% of the paybill for the grades would be set aside for performance-related payments. The Government accepted the recommendation. Accordingly, while the payments to individuals varied, the average payment was 10% of salary. In 2009, it was decided the scheme would be terminated but this was subject to discussion on the implementation of the decision with the relevant staff association.
Social dialogue and system of representation
Issues subject to Social Dialogue are: working conditions, public sector reform, modernisation of the Social Security system, etc. Employers are represented by the Department of Finance whilst employees are represented by: The Irish Municipal, Public and Civil Trade Union, The Civil and Public Services Union, The Public Service
Executive Union and The Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants. On the other hand, one of the most characteristic features of social dialogue is the decentralised dialogue. The extent of the decentralisation of the dialogue depends on the nature of the topic. The system is quite formal. Negotiations are held once a month at the General Council meetings and the agreements reached are formally ratified. On the other hand, there are sub-committees to deal with more complex topics such as the Disability Sub-Committee that considers disability related issues. Agreements reached at sub-committee level are ratified in the General Council.
Senior civil servants
In Ireland there is no formally defined Senior Civil Servant group but some special conditions exist for high level positions which are analysed below. (Summary Table)
Recruitment
In general, the Irish civil service operates a career-based system. Recruitment to the Civil Service is governed by the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004. The Act established the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) and the Public Appointments Service (PAS).
The CPSA sets the standards to apply to the recruitment of persons for positions in the Civil Service and certain other public service bodies.
The PAS is the principal recruitment body for the Irish civil service and is responsible for carrying out the competitive process (based on examinations and theory and practical tests) for civil service posts, as well as for senior levels of the local government.
The Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) oversees recruitment at senior level. Finally, the Government is the competent authority in relation to recruitment to Secretary- General level. Depending on the Government decision, the Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) recommends up to a maximum of three candidates for the post. For positions below the Secretary-General, the competent authority is the Minister. Civil servants are usually selected to form part of a permanent team and for a period of time that does not exceed 7 years. The most common posts are Secretary-General.
Performance Assessment
The Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) programme was approved within the framework of human resource management as an essential tool that would increase the quality of Civil Service actions. This programme establishes strategies for the development of skills such as responsibility and leadership for those positions at the top level of the administrative organization.
The Committee for Performance Awards (CPA) oversees the “Annual Assessment Plan”, in which the criteria to be fulfilled by Assistant Secretaries and Deputy Secretaries is established. Within this system, civil servants that obtain a better assessment may receive a monetary reward that ranges between 10 and 20% of his/her real salary.
Training
There are a series of agreements between the different administrative levels so that Assistant Secretaries or Secretaries-General, perform their functions whilst constantly increasing their training.
These programmes or agreements include: 1) The Annual Conference of Secretary- Generals, which provides an opportunity to share knowledge and experiences at all administration levels in order to develop the skills of the different administrative management positions. 2) The MSc Programme for the Public Sector for Assistant Secretaries, which addresses the skills that need to be developed in the different administrative levels. 3) The Assistant Secretary Network, whose members share information and points of view on public policy and issues of political and administrative interest, and whose decisions are subsequently considered to be implemented in different positions. 4) Participation in high-level seminars both nationally and internationally. Following the participation of different managers in the seminars, conclusions may be reached for inclusion in the aforementioned MSc Programme for the Public Sector for Assistant Secretaries. Finally, it must be mentioned that in recent years, Ireland has promoted training, dedicating 4% of the administrative budget to different training programmes.
Equality Policy
There are a number of public policies that seek to promote gender equality and diversity: a growing number are dedicated to the prevention and protection from physical abuse and bullying, and others dedicated to promoting the work-life balance.
The Diversity policy, introduced in July 2002, commits the civil service to ensuring equal opportunities in such areas as: recruitment, promotion, training and development and flexible working hours.
The 2001 Gender Equality Policy establishes that the promotion of equality in public employment should consist of establishing strategic objectives at departmental level, including equality objectives in order to obtain a balance between men and women.
1. Development of an organizational culture that supports equality between men and women.
2. Training of Committees focussing on the development of equal pay, gender, mobility, and family life policy.
3. Development of programmes that ensure positive discrimination.
Work-Life Balance
Flexible working hours have been promoted in recent years so that a large proportion of civil servants and public employees have adapted their working hours around their family life. A decision to grant a career-break is subject to the approval of Departmental management.
Annual Leave
Holiday/annual leave entitlements in the Irish civil service vary according to grade. In summary, the following entitlements apply.
Clerical Officer
20 days at the outset, rising to 21 after 5 years’ service, and 22 after 10 years’ service.
Staff Officer
21 days at the outset, rising to 22 after 5 years’ service, and 23 after 10 years’ service.
Executive Officer
21 days at the outset, rising to 22 after 5 years service, and 23 after 10 years’s service.
Administrative Officer
23 days at the outset, rising to 27 after 5 years’ service, and 29 after 10 years’ service.
Higher Executive Officer
27 days at the outset, rising to 28 after 5 years’ service, and 29 after 10 years’ service.
Assistant Principal Officer
30 days at the outset, rising to 31 after 5 years’ service.
Principal Officer 31 days.
Other Types of Leave
There are a range of unpaid leave options available to civil servants and public employees. These include:
• Shorter Working Year Scheme
• In 2009 a Shorter Working Year Scheme was introduced. The Scheme allows civil servants to balance their working arrangements with outside commitments, including the holidays of their children. Under the terms of the scheme, unpaid special leave will be available as a period of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 13 consecutive weeks to any civil servant. Staff may apply for more than one period in any year subject to a maximum of 13 weeks in that year.
• Career-Breaks – Civil servants and public employees may apply to take a careerbreak (unpaid leave) for a period of between six months and five years for a range of reasons including childcare, domestic reasons, educational purposes and travel abroad.
• Maternity Leave – Maternity leave consists of 26 weeks paid leave with an option to take 16 weeks unpaid maternity leave
• Paid Paternity Leave – Paid paternity leave is granted for three days for a civil servant who is the father of a child born on or after 1st January 2000.
Mobility
Almost all civil servants spend their whole careers within the civil service. However, internal mobility opportunities within the Civil Service are high and interdepartmental promotion competitions provide the opportunity for civil servants to move, on promotion, to a different Department. The majority of civil servants will hold more than one administrative post throughout their professional career.
Recent reforms and prospects
At the end of 2006 the OECD was commissioned by the Government to carry out a review of the Irish Public Service. Specifically, it was asked:
• to benchmark the Public Service in Ireland against other comparable countries, including identification of appropriate measures to compare the productivity and effectiveness of the Irish system, or discrete elements of it, against comparable international best practice; and== Further Eurostat information ==
• to make recommendations as to future directions for Public Service reform which will support the Irish Government’s drive for delivery of world class services to the citizen, within existing resources commitment, and contribute to sustainable national competitive advantage. The Review, Towards an Integrated Public Service, was published on 28 April 2008. Main Conclusions
• Ireland has a relatively low level of total Public Service Employment in international terms;
• Ireland is on track in terms of public service reform. The reforms that have taken place since the start of the Strategic Management Initiative and Delivering Better Government have made the Irish Public Service more open and focused on the citizen. There is engagement with the reform process through Quality Customer Service, Performance Verification for all pay increases, the Performance Management Development System for staff and latterly the introduction of Output Statements;
• The Irish Public Service has given Ireland a competitive advantage by providing high quality services but with ever growing global competitiveness and growth slowing it needs to work smarter.
Following the publication of the OECD Report on the Irish Public Service, Towards an Integrated Public Service, a Task Force was established to prepare, for consideration by the Government, a comprehensive framework for renewal of the Public Service. The report of the Task for was published at the end of 2008, along with a Government Statement on Transforming Public Services.
Main findings
In its Report, Transforming Public Services, the Task Force categorise their findings under a number of headings.