Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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753. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if Departmental Circular letter EL 02/2011 is still applicable; if so, to provide a rationale for this in the context of trying to attract Irish workers living abroad to return to Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29104/25]

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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831. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on whether Circular EL 02/2011 is an impediment to recruiting planners from abroad, including returning Irish citizens; and if he has any plans to review the circular to ensure overseas experience in related professional capacity is taken into account when making decisions for salaries. [30032/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 753 and 831 together.

As per Department of Finance letter of 10 December 2010, Government policy continues to be that starting pay on recruitment from open competition for all posts within the public service should be at the minimum of the relevant salary scale. All competition notices, advertisements and information booklets must specify that starting pay will be at the minimum of the scale. Such notices and booklets must also specify that the rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy.

In addition, the letter provided that where Heads of Departments were of the view that exceptional circumstances justified starting above the minimum, sanction could be sought from the Department of Finance (the my department now has responsibility for salary matters).

There are also policies agreed with staff associations which allow starting above the minimum for currently serving civil and public servants. Circular 08/2019 Revised Arrangements for Starting Pay, sets out the rules for pay on promotion sets out the revised arrangements applying to starting pay on promotion and appointment in the Civil Service for existing civil and public servants.

With effect from 30th November 2015 in relation to starting pay for appointees from elsewhere in the public service, it was decided that for new appointees who were serving elsewhere in the public service, in an analogous grade and payscale, the appointment could be made at the appointee's current salary. It is solely a matter for the employing Department/office to be satisfied that the grades are analogous.

Circular 21/2004 allows the granting of incremental credit for previous service in the civil/public service for service relevant to the grade.