Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Recruitment to all permanent posts at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is undertaken on behalf of the Department by the Public Appointments Service, PAS. This process typically involves candidates undertaking a minimum of one competitive interview by an interview board established by the PAS. Candidates for competitions run by PAS also need to satisfy certain qualifying criteria before being invited for interview.

The members on interview boards are sourced by the PAS from, in the main, across the Civil Service with each member having received appropriate formal interview training prior to sitting on an interview board. For certain technical or professional level posts interview board members may also be sourced from the private sector. Every effort is made to ensure that the interview board is gender balanced.

The PAS considers appeals from candidates made in writing within five working days of receipt of the notification of the decision. On receipt of the appeal, the selection decisions are revisited and the candidate is informed of the outcome of the review.

Interviewing undertaken directly by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is only for temporary posts, generally at cleaner level. The interview board for these posts normally comprises of three members, one being from the Department's personnel unit. It is departmental policy to ensure that, where possible, such boards are gender balanced.

Depending on the number of posts on offer the interview board may establish a panel of successful candidates, placed in order of merit, from which to fill current and any future vacancies that may arise in the particular post. Such a panel will normally run for one year from the date of interviews.

There is no formal appeals process following such interviews. Once the personnel unit is satisfied that correct procedures have been adhered to by the interview board, the decision of the interview board is final.