Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 94: To ask the Minister for Finance if tenders have been invited for private sector employment agencies to be certified for recruitment to the public service; if any Secretary General or head of a public agency has been approved for such a system of recruitment under the new Public Service Recruitment Act; and the approved recruitment agencies and the upcoming competitions which are set to use this system. [28576/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Commission for Public Service Appointments has invited tenders from private sector recruitment agencies wishing to be included on the commission's list of approved recruitment agencies. The commission's list of approved recruitment agencies will be published on completion of the tendering process. I understand that to date, under the terms of the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004, the Commission for Public Service Appointments has granted 11 recruitment licences to Civil Service Secretaries General or heads of offices and heads of other public service bodies as follows: Civil Service Secretaries General or heads of offices — nine recruitment licences in total; chief executive of the Health Service Executive — one recruitment licence; and Commissioner of the Garda Síochána — one recruitment licence.

The 2004 Act provides for the granting by the Commission for Public Service Appointments of a recruitment licence to the Public Appointments Service. Following the granting of a recruitment licence on 19 October 2004, all competitions conducted by Public Appointments Service have been subject to the terms of this licence. In addition, the chief executive of the Health Service Executive and the director of the Irish Prison Service have carried out recruitment competitions under the terms of their licences. The use or otherwise of listed recruitment agencies in future competitions is a matter for individual licence holders.