Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 193: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his interpretation of section 58 of the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004. [29627/11]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Recruitment to the Civil Service and to certain parts of the wider public service is governed by the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004. The Act established the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) and the Public Appointments Service (PAS). The CPSA sets the standards to apply to the recruitment of persons for positions in the Civil Service and certain other public service bodies. The PAS acts as the centralised recruitment, assessment and selection body for the Civil Service and provides a similar service, when requested, to the local authorities and Health Service Executive, the Garda Síochána, HIQA and certain other public service bodies.

Section 58 (1) (a) of the Act provides that the Minister for Finance (now the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform) is responsible for all matters relating to recruitment in the civil service. This includes matters relating to eligibility criteria, staff numbers, grading, pay and all other working conditions of civil servants.

Section 58 (1) (b) of the Act provides that in the context of recruitment to the wider public service various Ministers are responsible for these matters within their sectors of responsibility.