James Heffernan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I initially intended to submit an amendment to delete section 24 in its entirety. It is an extraordinary section in that it provides for private employees to be become fully pensioned civil servants without any assessment or competition. From speaking to colleagues and others, I understand the last time this was done was when Charlie Haughey nationalised the staff of a motor factors business before an election which was seen back then as very much a political stroke. Will the employees who become fully pensioned civil servants under this section be appointed at general service grades? Will they be able to transfer out of the authority into other areas, which would rather negate the point of bringing them into the body in the first place? Will the cost of assuming staff into the State service at elevated points on a payscale and with a consequent elevated pension entitlement not significantly increase the expenditure associated with the establishment of the new regulatory authority? It seems an inappropriate way to proceed. Surely the correct method would be to define the role, advertise it and let the best qualified persons apply rather than just taking private staff and making them into fully pensioned civil servants? The positions should be put out to public competition in order that all relevantly qualified persons may apply. If it turns out the best people are, in fact, those the Government is proposing to make fully pensioned civil servants, then so be it. However, the positions should be opened up to a much wider pool of applicants.