Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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343. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding a Public Appointments Service questionnaire; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20815/15]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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In my previous reply in relation to this matter I advised the Deputy that the Public Appointments Service (PAS) is committed to an equal opportunities policy. In accordance with the Employment Equality Acts (1998 to 2011) PAS aims to ensure that all applicants are treated equally.

A key element of PAS's ongoing commitment to equality is the monitoring it carries out of its selection processes in order to ensure that its equal opportunities policy is effectively implemented. The questionnaire referred to in the Deputy's questions is an equality monitoring questionnaire which candidates are invited to complete. It is important to emphasise that candidates are informed that completion of this questionnaire is completely voluntary, and that the purpose of gathering the information is to ensure that the selection techniques used by PAS are fair to all and that no group is inadvertently discriminated against in the selection process.

It is also important to stress the point that neither the manner in which candidates respond to this questionnaire, nor the answers that they may provide has any bearing on the manner in which their application is considered. The information is held by the PAS in a secure data base and is used to produce data in an anonymous statistical format only.

Therefore, I remain satisfied that PAS is complying both with its legal obligations and with best practice in inviting candidates to complete the questionnaire on a voluntary basis.