Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I can confirm to the Deputy that the arrangements in place for where an employee of my Department becomes elected or co-opted to a local authority are guided by the Civil Service Code of Standards & Behaviour Section 5, Civil servants and politics.

I would highlight section 5.2, sub-sections (b) (c) & (d):

(b) Civil servants in the craft and state industrial related grades are free to engage in politics and may stand for local election. The general restriction in relation to election to either House of the Oireachtas or the European Parliament applies.

(c) Members of the clerical grades in the Civil Service and non-industrial civil servants in grades with salary maxima equal to or below the Clerical Officer maximum may apply to their Department/Office for permission to engage in politics on the same basis as the staff referred to at (b). Officers employed on particular types of work may, at the discretion of departmental management, have their applications refused. In cases where permission would otherwise be refused, Departments/Offices should examine the possibility of moving an officer to a less sensitive area.

(d) All civil servants above clerical level are totally debarred from engaging in any form of political activity

And sub-section 5.4:

The provisions of Paragraphs 5.1 and 5.2 do not apply to the posts of Government Press Secretary, Deputy Government Press Secretary, Assistant Government Press Secretary, and all Ministerial and Attorney General Private Office staff holding temporary unestablished positions and whose tenure is coterminous with that of the relevant Minister/Attorney General (e.g. personal assistants, special advisors, personal secretaries in offices of Ministers and civilian drivers of Ministers of State).

Circular 09/2009: Civil Servants and Political Activity, section 9, also advises that:

a. The following provisions apply to civil servants regarding local elections: a. Civil servants in the craft, state industrial and manual grades and grades below clerical grades may stand for election to local authorities;

b. Civil servants in the clerical grades and non-industrial grades with salary maxima equal to or below the Clerical Officer maximum may stand as candidates at local election, subject to permission to do so being given by their Department. Departments must give such civil servants who are refused permission to take part in political activities, a statement of the reason for the decision

c. Special advisers and other personal appointees of Ministers, Ministers of State, Parliamentary office holders and the Attorney General, holding temporary unestablished positions may contest local elections;

d. All other civil servants are completely debarred from standing for local elections, unless expressly permitted to do so by the terms of their employment.

I will direct the bodies under the aegis of my Department to respond to the Deputy’s question directly.