Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 642: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position on the recruitment process for IT officer posts, namely, IS analyst-developer, IS project leader and IS technical support officer within local authorities (details supplied); the reason there is a clause in the criteria which states that an applicant has to be a serving member of a local authority, health board and so on; the further reason IT jobs are not treated like other professions within local authorities; the further reason persons who have worked in a local authority before and possess the necessary qualification and experience relevant to the job cannot be allowed to apply for such positions; the further reason IT positions cannot be made available at grade IV level if external applicants are not eligible to apply for grade V positions or a special panel created for external candidates who have worked within local authorities before; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29941/04]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The IT grading structure introduced in local authorities in 2002 included the creation of new employments of IS project leader, IS analyst-developer and IS technical support officer at grades VII, VI and V levels respectively. The arrangements for filling posts in the new structure were agreed with the union concerned, IMPACT. Accordingly, the first filling of these posts was confined to serving staff in local authorities, subject to the availability of a sufficient number of suitably qualified candidates.

Posts at grades IV to VII level in local authorities are normally filled through the common recruitment pool system that restricts applications to employees of local authorities, health boards, VECs, institutes of technology and certain other local government and health agencies. However, given the specialist nature of the IS project leader and IS developer-analyst posts, and by agreement with the union concerned, the filling of these posts subsequent to their first filling is by public competition open to anyone who possesses the necessary qualifications. These qualifications require candidates to have the NCC higher diploma in computer studies or an equivalent accredited IT qualification and relevant experience and skills; in such cases, prior employment or experience in a local authority is not a requirement. As specialist IT qualifications are not required for the grade V level post of IS technical support officer, competition for such posts, subsequent to their first filling, is from within the common recruitment pool system.

In the case referred to, the individual concerned is not precluded from applying for posts of IS project leader or IS analyst-developer which arise subsequent to the first filling of such posts in a local authority provided that he possesses the qualifications declared as to education and experience.