Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 15 June 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach

Secondment Policy in the Civil and Public Service: Engagement with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

Photo of Mairead FarrellMairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That is fair. Some of the questions have already been answered but in relation to the secondments Mr. Moloney mentioned to Maynooth University and the National University of Ireland, Galway, these are secondments that have been raised with us and people have asked serious enough questions. It is easier to be frank and honest with Mr. Moloney and to ask these questions. Concerns have been raised that the job descriptions for the work being carried out in both of these roles are very similar and both reference, as was said, the Civil Service renewal strategy, furthering public policy and so on. What appears to be the case, or at least publicly - maybe Mr. Moloney has other information - is that there is a question on what actual research they are carrying out. I know some academics and different people working in the field have been asking that same question. To be fair, it is a valid question. Would I be right in saying the two individuals would be too young to have full pension rights?

I do not mean to reflect badly on anyone or anything like that but the following question has been raised. Are the secondments being used to allow early-retiring senior officials who do not have full pension rights a way of maintaining their incomes? As I said, this is not to reflect on either of the two people; I would just like to hear Mr. Moloney's thoughts and views on that because it is something that is being raised with us and this point needs to be addressed frankly.

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