The Commission for Public Service Appointments ( ga, Coimisiúin um Cheapacháin Seirbhíse Poiblí) is an independent Irish statutory body which sets standards for recruitment in the public service. The Commission is not to be confused with the Public Appointments Service.

Activities

The commission's main activities are as follows: *issuing codes of practice *carrying out audits of recruitment and selection *investigating complaints.

Codes of practice

The commission issues codes of practice concerning recruitment and selection. There are currently five codes of practice, relating to appointments in the Civil Service and Public Service, as well as codes to deal with specific situations such as appointment of persons with disabilities, or emergency short-term appointments in the health public sector.

Recruitment and selection audits

The commission carries out audits of recruitment and selection in the public sector, all of which are published. Sometimes these include recommendations.

Complaints

The commission also investigates complaints or formal statutory requests for review under the codes in relation to specific appointments. However it may not quash or alter a recruitment decision.

Investigations

The commission may authorize investigations with wide powers including the right of entry on premises and the right to inspect documents.

Approved recruitment agencies

In a new initiative, the commission intends to establish a list of approved recruitment agencies from the private sector which may be used for public service recruitment.

Annual reports

The commission's annual reports are submitted to each House of the

Oireachtas The Oireachtas (, ), sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the bicameral parliament of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of: *The President of Ireland *The two houses of the Oireachtas ( ga, Tithe an Oireachtais): **Dáil Éireann ...

and published on its official website. The commission is supported by a small staff.

Members of the commission

The Commission for Public Service Appointments consists of five ex-officio members, referred to as commissioners. Currently these are: *the chairman of

Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland r ...

, the Ceann Comhairle, currently

Seán Ó Fearghaíl Seán Ó Fearghaíl (; born 17 April 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as the Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann since March 2016. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Kildare South constituency since 2002. He was a ...

TD *the Secretary General to the

Government of Ireland The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland. The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The go ...

, currently

Martin Fraser Martin Fraser (born 11 June 1970) is an Irish civil servant who served as the Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach from August 2011 to May 2022. He previously served as the Assistant Secretary General of the Department of the Tao ...

*the Secretary General,

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform ( ga, An Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe) is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The department was established ...

, currently Robert Watt (as a result of legislation the Secretary General,

replaced the Secretary General, Public Service Management and Development, Department of Finance, as ex-officio member of the commission). *the chairperson of the

Standards in Public Office Commission The Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) ( ga, Coimisiún um Chaighdeáin in Oifigí Poiblí) is an independent body established in December 2001 by the Irish Government under the Standards in Public Office Act, 2001. It replaced the Public ...

, currently Mr Justice Daniel O'Keeffe. *the Ombudsman, currently

Peter Tyndall Peter Tyndall is the Ombudsman, Information Commissioner, and Commissioner for Environmental Information of Ireland. As Ombudsman, he is ex-officio member of four important statutory oversight bodies: the Commission for Public Service Appointm ...

Office and staff

In 2012 the Office of the Commission was amalgamated with the Office of the Ombudsman for administration and accounting purposes. This was for cost-cutting purposes. As a result, the commission depends on the staff of the ombudsman.

References

External links

*
Ceann Comhairle’s WebsiteDepartment of the TaoiseachDepartment of Public Expenditure and ReformStandards in Public Office CommissionOffice of the Ombudsman
{{authority control Politics of the Republic of Ireland Government agencies of the Republic of Ireland