Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

These amendments provide for the amendment of the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004 and the merger of the Office of the Commission for Public Service Appointments and the Office of the Ombudsman. The merger is the subject of a recommendation made in the McCarthy report and should lead to greater flexibility in the deployment of staff and administrative efficiencies through the amalgamation of back office supports and functions. The Office of the Commission for Public Service Appointments and the commissioners are to continue, with no change in their specific statutory role. The Vote for the Office of the Commission for Public Service Appointments will be subsumed into that for the Office of the Ombudsman and a separate Accounting Officer role will be discontinued.

Amendment No. 25 defines the term "the Act of 2004" to be the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act; amendment No. 26 amends section 28 of the Act of 2004; amendment No. 27 amends section 29 of the Act of 2004; and amendment No. 28 amends section 32 of the Act f 2004 and provides for the merging of staff of the Office of the Commission for Public Service Appointments and the Office of the Ombudsman. This will allow for their assignment between the functions of the two offices as the need arises. A saver is included in respect of the current director of the Office of the Commission for Public Service Appointments who shall be deemed as designated to be an officer of the Commission for Public Service Appointments and the designation shall not be revoked without his consent.