Written answers
Tuesday, 15 September 2020
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Departmental Staff
Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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482. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of eligible staff who can apply for the higher executive officer competition in her Department. [23450/20]
Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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483. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of staff who applied for the promotion to higher executive officer in her Department. [23451/20]
Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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484. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of staff by grade (details supplied) who applied for the competition for promotion to HEO. [23452/20]
Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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485. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of HEO vacancies in her Department; and the locations and business units the vacancies are in. [23453/20]
Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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486. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of members of staff it takes to run the competition for higher executive officer. [23454/20]
Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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487. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the cost of running the competition for higher executive officer. [23455/20]
Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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488. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when interviews will take place after the application date closes for the promotion to higher executive officer. [23456/20]
Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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489. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons on the interview panel for higher executive officer; if interviews will be done by video link or in person for the position; and if the interviewers will be internal staff or external. [23457/20]
Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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490. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the age range (details supplied) of applicants for the position of higher executive officer; and the number of applicants under each age range. [23458/20]
Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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491. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of working days' notice candidates will be given of their interview date for the higher executive officer competition. [23459/20]
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 482 to 491, inclusive, together.
An internal competition for promotion to Higher Executive Officer was advertised on June 22nd 2020 with a closing date of July 10th 2020. 3,865 staff were eligible to apply for the competition broken down as follows:
| Grade | - |
|---|---|
| Clerical Officer | 2370 |
| Executive Officer | 1369 |
| Services Officer | 126 |
| Grand Total | 3865 |
A total of 827 applications were received by the closing date, broken down as follows:
| Grade | Count of applications |
|---|---|
| AO | 2 |
| CO | 307 |
| EO | 518 |
There are currently 91 HEO posts that have been approved for filling in the following locations and business areas:
| COUNTY | Total | Business Areas |
|---|---|---|
| CARLOW | 1 | South East Region |
| CLARE | 2 | Mid-West Region |
| DONEGAL | 1 | North West Region |
| DUBLIN | 62 | Communications Unit; Digital Adoption Team; Disability Policy; Dublin Central Region; Dublin North Region; Engagement & Innovation; Estimates Unit; IS Services; Low Pay Commission; Regional Services Unit; Staff Development Unit; Special Investigations Unit |
| GALWAY | 8 | Business Analytics Unit; West Region |
| KERRY | 2 | Mid-West Region |
| KILDARE | 2 | Dublin North Region |
| KILKENNY | 1 | South East Region |
| LOUTH | 2 | North East Region |
| MAYO | 1 | West Region |
| MEATH | 1 | North East Region |
| SLIGO | 4 | IS Services; Illness Benefits; SWA Policy; North West Region |
| WESTMEATH | 1 | Midlands Region |
| WICKLOW | 3 | Dublin Central Region |
| Grand Total | 91 | - |
The HR core competitions team has been supplemented by additional staff drawn from other areas of the HR Division to assist at different stages of the competition and the assignment of a small number of temporary staff for the duration of the competition.
It is estimated that the costs of running the competition will be in the region of €150,000, which is largely made up of the estimated costs of interview board members' time / salary costs and the estimated salary costs of staff involved in running the competition.
The preliminary interview boards are made up of one Principal Officer and one Assistant Principal Officer, some of whom are recently retired members of staff. There is one serving member of staff on each board. The final interview boards will be made up of one Principal Officer and two Assistant Principal Officers. All interviews will be conducted over video link using Webex. However, in a small number of cases where a candidate has special requirements (e.g. sign language interpreter), the interviews may be conducted on a face to face basis.
The following table reflects the breakdown of the applications in the requested age brackets:
| Age bracket | Count of applications |
|---|---|
| 18-25 | 5 |
| 26-35 | 119 |
| 36-45 | 291 |
| 45-55 | 301 |
| 56-65 | 110 |
| Over 65 | 1 |
| Grand Total | 827 |
Preliminary Interviews have commenced and are expected to be completed by the end of October. Final interviews will be scheduled shortly thereafter. Candidates are being given five working days’ notice of their interview date.
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