Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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71. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason the OPW recently advertised in the national press for guides and sought information on age and marital status on the application form in breach of equality legislation; and the steps he has taken to ensure it does not happen again; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52460/17]

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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In their standard annual application process for Seasonal Guides for Heritage visitor sites, the OPW routinely seeks key information from prospective candidates in order to progress the selection process. The online application form for the 2018 season can be viewed at

Information in relation to specific date of birth is sought in order to ensure that the OPW remains compliant with certain regulatory requirements in relation to age. The OPW requires firstly that candidates are over 18 by the 1st January of the year of recruitment in order to comply with its policy in relation to employment of persons below that age and for reasons of child protection. There is also a further requirement that candidates be under the age of 70 at time of contract start date since the employment is pensionable in accordance with the terms of the Single Public Service Pensions Scheme (as defined in the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012), and retirement is compulsory on reaching 70 years of age. A simple tick box stating that the candidate is over 18 and under 70 would not fully capture the necessary information sufficiently accurately in all cases and a specific date of birth detail is therefore sought.

Details of marital status are not sought at any stage in the OPW’s recruitment processes and the online application form for the current recruitment process does not have a question in respect of this.

The OPW is cognisant of the importance of a robust approach where issues of personal data are concerned and, given ongoing developments in respect to data protection, will keep this issue under review to ensure that, if personal data is being sought without a firm basis, or if data is incorrectly handled in any way, it will be in a position to change its approach accordingly.