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

Nobody is suggesting that this position was not advertised correctly or that people from all walks of life could not apply for it,. The issue here is that we had been told specifically that the €81,000 pay increase was needed to be able to attract international talent. We now know that only three of the 23 people who applied came were international candidates. We actually had 20 people who were willing to apply for the job and indeed we already had someone already working within this Department who was willing to take up that position. That is the concern we have. It is not about the way it was advertised, but the fact that we were told that an €81,000 pay increase was needed. We now know that the person who has accepted the job has said he is happy to waive that on a temporary basis. Why was it needed in the first place?

I have seen the latest TLAC report from 2019 which outlined concerns over the downward trend for people outside the State sector applying. However, was that €81,000 increase necessary in order to attract international talent, when in fact we were so lucky that we had the person right here already working for the State? Clearly that €81,000 increase was not necessary.

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