Mr. John Howlin:

I thank the Chair and members of the committee for their invitation to discuss the recruitment system for senior posts in the Civil Service, particularly in the context of the relevant recruitment provisions in the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021. I am joined by my colleague Ruth Cullen, who also works in the area of Civil Service recruitment in the Department.

First, by way of background on Civil Service recruitment policy, I think it would be useful to outline the key structures for recruitment in the public service. The Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004 established the key elements of the current legal framework for recruitment in the public service and Civil Service. This framework consists of an oversight body called the Commission for Public Service Appointments, CPSA, and a centralised recruitment body, the Public Appointments Service, or PAS, and also provides for a system of voluntary recruitment licensing for individual bodies that allows them to hire directly. The CPSA is the principal regulator of recruitment and selection in the Irish public service and ensures that appointments are fair, transparent and merit-based. As required under the Act, recruitment under licence is subject to codes of practice drawn up by the CPSA which set out the principles that should be followed when making an appointment. The Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004 also establishes that the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform is responsible for matters relating to recruitment in the Civil Service. This includes eligibility criteria, staff numbers, grading, pay and other working conditions. It further provides that other Ministers have responsibility in respect of the recruitment of public servants and bodies under the aegis of their Departments.

Regarding senior recruitment in the Civil Service, the top-level appointments committee, more commonly referred to as TLAC, is a non-statutory committee established by Government decision in 1984. The committee's function is to recommend candidates to Ministers and the Government for the most senior positions in the Civil Service at assistant secretary level and upwards. There are currently 16 members of TLAC; nine external members one of whom one is the chair, and seven members from within the Civil Service who are at Secretary General grade.

All members are appointed by the Taoiseach following nomination by the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and agreement by the Government.

The TLAC selection process can be summarised into the following phases: shortlisting, preliminary interviews and final interviews. The final stage of the selection process is for the interview board to make its recommendation. For assistant secretary and equivalent and deputy secretary and equivalent posts, which make up the majority of TLAC posts, TLAC will recommend one candidate only to the hiring Secretary General for appointment by the relevant Minister. For Secretary General posts considered by TLAC, TLAC may recommend up to three candidates to the hiring Minister who, in the committee's judgment, meet the required standard for the post. The Government is the appointing authority for Secretaries General, as set out in the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924. The relevant Minister recommends a particular appointment to the Government based on his or her consideration of TLAC’s recommendation. Appointment of a Secretary General is made following approval by the Cabinet.

As the committee will be aware, the Irish-language services advisory committee was established by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in June 2022 under section 18 of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021. One of the key functions of the advisory committee is to prepare a national plan for Irish-language public services, which is to be submitted to the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media for approval by mid-2024. A key objective of this national plan is to reach the recruitment target laid down in Act that at least 20% of staff recruited to public bodies will be competent in the Irish language by 31 December 2030.

The committee comprises members from a range of public service bodies and representatives for Gaeltacht language planning areas and areas of the State that are not Gaeltacht language planning areas, who are appointed by the Minister. I participate on the committee in respect of my role in recruitment policy in the Civil Service and PAS is also represented in respect of the recruitment role I have just outlined. The work of the committee is ongoing and the final report will provide guidance as to roles within the public service requiring competency in the Irish language and potential strategies in the short, medium and longer term aimed at providing a broad pool of candidates capable of filling those roles. I am happy to answer any questions the committee may have.