Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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100. To ask the Taoiseach if the competition for a high-level head of international relations at the CSO is restricted to internal candidates only; and if so, the reason therefor. [17208/19]

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Since 2015, Government departments have worked under delegated sanction arrangements in managing their recruitment and staffing. Under these arrangements, multi-annual pay ceilings are set and agreed with Departments and Offices. Decisions regarding recruitment, promotion and overall grade composition up to and including Principal Officer level are then devolved to each Department/Office.

The filling of general service posts in the civil service is subject to the application of recruitment sequences, which are centrally agreed under the Civil Service Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme.

The role referenced in the Deputy’s query is a Principal Officer post. The agreed sequence for the filling of posts at this grade is 66.6% open and 33.3% internal, or 2 posts to be filled via Open recruitment for every 1 post filled via Internal competition.

The two Principal Officer appointments made in the CSO prior to the competition referenced in the PQ were made from an Open recruitment process. Accordingly, the referenced position was filled in line with centrally agreed sequencing arrangements, through an internal recruitment process.

Applications were sought from all qualified serving Central Statistics Office (CSO) staff, including those on secondment to outside organisations to an internal panel for the position of Head of International Relations, Planning and Policy.