Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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82. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason staff officers are not afforded the same promotional opportunities as other Civil Service grades (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38794/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The management of staff and issues arising is a matter for my Department's Secretary General and his officials. If a member of staff of my Department has a query related to their employment they have the opportunity to raise such matters with Human Resources Division.

The Deputy may wish to note that all staff, including Staff Officers are afforded the same promotion opportunities as other civil service grades and that all competitions for promotion that are held by my Department are done so in accordance with the provisions regarding cross-streaming and the revised eligibility criteria for promotion arising from General Council Report 1526.

Furthermore, the particular office notices referenced are not promotional opportunities but opportunities for officers at certain designated grades to work in another area of my Department at the same grade. In this context it is important to note that as currently structured, while there are aspects of the Staff Officer role that are broadly analogous with the grade of Executive Officer, the Staff Officer and Executive Officer grades are distinct and separate.

The Deputy may wish to note that efforts are ongoing at a central level to amalgamate the two grades and my Department has already taken steps to give Staff Officers an opportunity to work in roles that would have previously only been undertaken by Executive Officers.