Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 58: To ask the Minister for Finance if he is satisfied that the top level appointment committee gives reasonable scope for appointment from outside the public service and outside the appointing Departments. [17135/10]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) holds competitions for and advises Ministers and the Government on appointments to civil service posts at Secretary General, Deputy Secretary and Assistant Secretary and equivalent levels. Since early 2007 the policy has been that open competitions are held for Assistant Secretary and Deputy Secretary and equivalent posts and more recently this policy has been extended to Secretary General posts, with the exception of a limited number of Secretary General posts which are filled by the Government without a TLAC competition. Where open competitions are held the normal practice is that the Public Appointments Service holds a preliminary competition and selects a shortlist of candidates for interview by the TLAC.