Commissioner Harris Calls For People From All Backgrounds and Communities To Apply to Become a Garda

publicjobs.ie brought an array of local and international expertise to Dublin Castle to discuss how diversity and inclusion can help to shape the future of our ever-changing workplace.

A big congratulations to our Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Siobhán McKenna who won the Diversity Champion Award 2023 at the CIPD Ireland HR Awards on Friday 24 February.

We would like to congratulate the first class of the Professional Certificate in Resourcing & Recruitment who were conferred at the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) Conferring Ceremony in Dublin Castle last week.

At publicjobs.ie, we were proud to sponsor the Public Sector Organisation of the Year Award in the inaugural National Diversity & Inclusion Awards on Thursday, 2nd February 2023 in Croke Park, Dublin.

The awards were hosted by the Irish Centre for Diversity and were be judged by a panel of leading experts in Diversity and Inclusion (D&I). The awards acknowledged those organisations that are creating positive change in all areas of D&I in workplaces across Ireland.

Florin is an ICT Specialist in An Garda Síochána. Florin tells us a little bit about his role as a Cyber Security Analyst and the opportunities that have been available to him since joining the Civil Service. He tells us about the support structure for further development within An Garda Síochána and keeping up to date with new technologies.

Alan is an ICT Specialist with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Alan tells us a little bit about his role and the opportunities that have been available to him since joining the civil service. He tells us about feeling proud to work in a particularly important area, which works to ensure the protection of public health and the environment.

Justin is an ICT Specialist with the Office of the Revenue Commissioners. Justin tells us a little bit about his role and the opportunities that have been available to him since joining the civil service. He tells us about the great sense of community across the organisation and the range of activities in his division to support positive mental and physical wellbeing.  

The Department of Foreign Affairs is hiring graduates for the role of Development Specialist Officer for the Irish Foreign Service. Irish Diplomats play a crucial role in developing and implementing Ireland’s foreign policies. They represent Ireland abroad, promoting and protecting the interests and values of our State and its citizens.

Graduate Opportunities within the Civil and Public Service are designed to inspire, challenge and support the next generation of Civil and Public Service leaders. As a Graduate you will have the opportunity to work on projects that will aid the social and economic development of Ireland. If you enjoy challenging work and are committed to the concept of public service, a graduate position could be the ideal role for you.

Máire shares her experience of working as an Educational Psychologist with the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) in the Department of Education. She talks about the supportive environment which allowed her the opportunity to grow and develop her skills.

We recently contributed to an Irish Times Special Report discussing how equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policies are reported and measured. The article highlights that organisations should take a systemic approach to promote diversity and inclusion in ways that also support business.

Exchange House Ireland National Travellers Service hosted the Annual National Education Achievement Awards for members of the Traveller community on 1^st December 2022, with Senator Eileen Flynn as the guest of honour at this year’s event.

The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is pleased to publish our gender pay gap reporting information for 2022. The Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021 introduced the legislative basis for gender pay gap reporting in Ireland. Regulations under the Act came into operation on 31 May 2022. These require any organisation with 250+ employees to report on their gender pay gap in 2022 with reference to a snapshot date in June 2022. 

Helen gives us insight into her career as an Educational Psychologist, having been inspired to follow a new direction after encountering the National Educational Psychologist Services (NEPS) while working as a Primary School Teacher. 

Kevin shares his career path from working as a primary school teacher in a number of schools before working in a special school for pupils with special education needs. This led him to complete a Diploma in Special Education and later completing a degree in Psychology through the Open University and later a master's in Educational Psychology. 

Sarah shares her experience of working as an Educational Psychologist with the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). Sarah tells us she joined NEPS for the opportunity to work consultatively with schools and to support schools to make systemic changes so as to develop their supports for children and young people with additional needs.

October was Black History Month – a month that celebrates black history, culture and achievement. And while celebrating black history and culture, it is important to acknowledge that racism and discrimination are part of the global black and ethnic minority experience, and Ireland is no different.

Dr. Ebun Joseph, the Director in the Institute of Antiracism and Black Studies and an expert on anti-racism work, joined the staff of the Publicjobs.ie to discuss a recent survey she conducted called "21 Actions to Tackle Racism in the Workplace". This survey was on the experiences of people who may have experienced racism or witnessed racist incidents and/or discrimination in the workplace.

At publicjobs.ie, we are proud to sponsor the Public Sector Organisation of the Year Award in the inaugural National Diversity & Inclusion Awards on Thursday, 2nd February 2023 in Croke Park, Dublin.

The awards are hosted by the Irish Centre for Diversity and will be judged by a panel of leading experts in Diversity and Inclusion (D&I). The awards will acknowledge those organisations that are creating positive change in all areas of D&I in workplaces across Ireland.

Today, a dedicated online hub for medical consultant roles recruited by publicjobs.ie has been launched in partnership with the HSE.

The partnership will see publicjobs.ie manage the independent recruitment and selection process for permanent medical consultant roles on behalf of the HSE.

Now, medical consultant roles can be viewed in one, easy to access online hub. Twelve area specialities will be recruited on the hub including surgery, psychiatry, paediatrics, anaesthesiology, emergency medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, general internal medicine, pathology, radiology, public health, orthodontics, and ophthalmology.

Patricia tells us about her career as an Educational Psychologist in the National Educational Psychological Service. Patricia says that the best thing about working in National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) is the collegiality and working with a group of like-minded people. The collective expertise of colleagues is great, and you come away from individual or group supervision feeling more able and grounded. With that support behind you, you are better able to help support schools. 

Gráinne gives us an insight into her career as an Educational Psychologist with the National Educational Psychological Service. Gráinne shares that her role allows her the opportunity to apply psychological theory, research and techniques to support children, young people, their families and schools to promote the emotional and social wellbeing of young people.

Andrew tells us about his career as an Educational Psychologist, completing placements in education, disability and mental health services, which provided him with a range of skills that can support the psychological needs of children. He shares that he enjoys bridging the gap between home and school, being immersed in these two parts of the system around the child.

Having recently joined publicjobs.ie as an ICT Specialist, Darragh tell us about his role and the opportunities for training that have been available to him, in his short time since joining the Infrastructure team.

Paul joined the Irish Coast Guard as a Watch Officer in 2014 and within three years of joining the Marine Rescue Coordination Centre (MRSC) in Malin Head was promoted to Station Officer. After a further two years, Paul had the opportunity to apply for the position of Divisional Controller, which is the Manager of the Rescue Coordination Centre and the main point of contact for the entire Malin Division, and he has now been in that position for three years.

Adrian Murtagh is an ICT Specialist with the Department of Social Protection working in Sharepoint Infrastructure. Adrian tells us a little bit about his career and the opportunities that have been available to him since joining the Civil Service.

Working as a Watch Officer at Valentia Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Centre, David tells us that it’s an exciting and dynamic role and is suited to people who are cool and calm during stressful situations.

Juliana tells us about her experience as a Temporary Clerical Officer (TCO) in the Finance unit of the Department of Social Protection. While a TCO, Juliana applied for the permanent Clerical Officer competition and was successful in the selection process. After exactly one year, having worked in two sections in Facilities Management, Juliana was assigned to her current permanent position as a Clerical Officer in the Goods & Services Team of the Department of Social Protection.

Jason is a Station Officer with the Marine Rescue Coordination Centre, which provides national marine assistance and responds to ship casualties and maritime emergencies. He gives us an insight into the role of a Watch Officer when an emergency arises at sea.

Niall commenced his career in the civil service working as a Clerical Officer in the Public Appointments Service, and has now progressed to be Vice Consul (Deputy Head of Mission) at Ireland’s Consulate General in Frankfurt, Germany. For Niall, being able to help people is one of the key reasons that he is in the job, as it is immensely rewarding.

Finbarr is a Higher Executive Officer (manager) in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, having initially started as a Clerical Officer in the Finance unit of the Department of Education. His work involves overseeing the preparation of correspondence, parliamentary questions, ministerial briefs and speeches and working with stakeholders to ensure departmental policy objectives and priorities are communicated and met.

A volunteer with her local Coast Guard unit, Amy decided to apply for the role of Watch Officer to utilise her skills and experience she had gained from her voluntary work and her background in the Merchant Navy. She also wanted to be a strong role model for her daughters and to show them that you can achieve anything once you put your mind to it, despite the many obstacles or hardships that may come your way.

Currently working in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform as an ICT Apprentice, Mario shares how the apprenticeship provided him with an amazing opportunity to reskill and transition into ICT. He was able to go from having zero knowledge and experience to playing a part in contributing to the delivery of a national ICT Strategy and working on some of the biggest and most exciting ICT projects in the public sector.

Stephen is a Watch Officer with the Marine Rescue Coordination Centre. He tells us about his career path to becoming a Watch Officer and the opportunities the role has provided him, including pursuing a Masters Degree.

Currently working in Revenue, Laoise shares her experience of the ICT apprenticeship programme in the Civil Service and the opportunities she has been provided. From studying for a Diploma in Networking and Systems Security part-time to working on a project overhauling the WAN site infrastructure, Laoise has found the experience to be very beneficial for her learning.  

The Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES) are hiring graduates capable of demonstrating the tools and techniques of economic and policy analysis. These skillsets will be used to help inform policy development and decision making around optimising the use of scarce Government resources throughout Ireland.

Today marks the official launch of the second year of The Pitch and The Public Jobs Schools Resource Kit to over 700 post-primary schools throughout Ireland.  After the success of year one, which saw over a quarter of all post primary schools in the country registering, the initiative has been further optimised to provide students with the best learning experience to truly demystify careers in the public sector.

At Publicjobs.ie, we are proud to have joined Transparency International’s Integrity at Work programme. The initiative helps foster workplaces where people are supported to raise concerns about wrongdoing and act with integrity. Integrity at Work is facilitated by the Irish chapter of Transparency International (TI) – the world’s leading independent anti-corruption organisation.

All degree disciplines are welcome to apply for the General graduate stream where opportunities are likely to arise across a number of Government Departments and Offices in the Civil Service. As part of this role you can expect to play a crucial role in policy and strategy formulation across the spectrum of economic, financial, international, environmental and social issues.

Fergus is a Press Officer for the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. Fergus talks about the work he does while travelling to different parts of the country with the Minister, stating that the Communications Officer role is “a perfect entry level for someone who has not worked in the public sector before, and offers plenty of opportunity to learn and advance.”

Annmarie joined Publicjobs.ie as a Marketing and Communications Executive in December 2020. In this article, Annmarie talks about the variety of work she has been involved in since beginning the role including managing the content on Publicjobs.ie, writing news articles, developing content for social media channels, and running the internal communications for the organisation. Annmarie highlights the opportunities she has been given to study and further her education.

A role as a Third Secretary or Development Specialist Officer within the Department of Foreign Affairs includes responsibilities across a number of areas, particularly public policy. This includes preparation of analysis and research papers, preparing briefing material for Ministers and senior officials, liaison with Irish Embassies, Consulates and other diplomatic offices abroad as well as Government departments and organisations.

How does An Garda Síochána approach a high-risk situation; what kind of decisions do they need to make, and what kind of equipment do they have at their disposal? Those were just some of the questions two students from Boherbue Comprehensive School in Cork had answered when they took part in a policing simulation exercise with the Garda Armed Support Unit.

Steven joined the Civil Service as an Executive Officer, assigned to the Consular Directorate in the Department of Foreign Affairs. He tells us about the range of experience he gained in the Executive Officer role, from working in the Honorary Consuls Unit overseeing and reforming Ireland’s global network of Honorary Consuls to taking up a temporary assignment as the ‘Pathfinder’ to manage the project to open a new Consulate-General of Ireland in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany. He has subsequently been promoted to Higher Executive Officer, working in the Project Management Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Brendan tells us about his role as Executive Officer in the Secretary General’s office in the of the Department of Trade, Enterprise, and Employment, as well as having the opportunity to act as Private Secretary, acting up at the Higher Executive Officer grade.

EU Diversity Month is about raising awareness about the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and across our societies. It is about the representation and visibility of different groups, where diverse perspectives are valued and integrated into the work environment.

EU Diversity Month celebrates efforts by organisations to help build equal and inclusive environments for the benefit of all. This initiative is part of the European Commission’s commitment to fight discrimination and promote diverse and inclusive workplaces.

Emer tells us about her role managing the IT for the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union. She works with all the Irish departments and their representatives in the EU. She believes there is no better opportunity than working in the civil service and serving the citizens of Ireland.

Michelle joined the civil service in 2003 working in a division that coordinated economic reporting from Irish Embassies around the world. That work sparked her interest in economics, and she went back to college to study an economics degree part-time with support from the Department. She currently manages the Project Management Office in the Department of Foreign Affairs, where she and her team provide advice and support on managing projects in the Department.

Stephen began as an Executive Officer on promotion in 2005, having begun as a Clerical Officer in Revenue in 2001. He has been with Department of Justice ever since, albeit having two periods where he was seconded to the Department of Foreign Affairs to work as a Diplomat in Irish Embassies overseas. He is now engaged in the role of Visa Office manager in London following promotion. Stephen says, “it’s an honour and opportunity that would not have possible without my experiences as an Executive Officer”.

Kerry student interviews Taoiseach Micheál Martin

The student from Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí, Tralee won the prize as part of The Pitch – The Publicjobs.ie Schools Advertising Challenge

The students from Royal and Prior School, Raphoe, Co Donegal won the prize as part of The Pitch – The Publicjobs.ie Schools Advertising Challenge

Saving lives at sea, on inland waterways, up mountains and in caves; providing search and rescue response and counter-pollution measures to maritime accidents, and monitoring vessel traffic are all in a day’s work for the staff of the Irish Coast Guard, and a group of students from Donegal got a glimpse into that work during a trip to the Irish Coast Guard’s helicopter base in Sligo this week.

On International Girls in ICT Day, the United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is highlighting the need to promote technology career opportunities for girls and women in the world’s fastest growing sector. To celebrate the day, we share an interview with our Head of Digital Transformation at Publicjobs.ie, who shares her career trajectory and her advice to any girls or women interested in a career in STEM.

Competition challenged post-primary students to create an advertisement pitching the public sector as an attractive career pathway to their fellow students.

Dr Susan Steele is currently the Executive Director of the EU Fisheries Control Agency. Prior to this Susan held the role of Executive Chairperson and Member of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority. In this article, Susan speaks to us about her role and experience of working in the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, and a little about the work that they do.

Looking after the future sustainability of our oceans and those that depend on them by ensuring that our sea fisheries and seafood safety are appropriately regulated is a rewarding and at the same time challenging career.

To mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we caught up with Clare who is Head of the Geoscience Regulation Office (GSRO) with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC). Established in 2021, the Geoscience Regulation Office is responsible for licensing, monitoring and compliance assurance for the petroleum, minerals, mines and geothermal sectors, both on and offshore Ireland. Clare gives an insight into the work of the Geoscience Regulation Office, noting that 50% of the scientific team are female. She also details her career journey and what initially sparked her interest in a career in science.

Following on from the success of the Public Jobs Schools Resource Kit we are delighted to introduce The Pitch – The Publicjobs.ie Schools Advertising Challenge all about sparking student interest in public sector careers.

The theme of this year’s International Migrants Day (December 18th) is Harnessing the potential of human mobility. It is estimated that 3.6 per cent of the global population or 281 million people were international migrants in 2020. There are many factors that influence the movement of people; either voluntary or forced movements are a result of the increased magnitude and frequency of disasters, economic challenges and extreme poverty or conflict.

Osal is a Clerical Officer in the Department of Foreign Affairs. Osal tells us a little bit about his role and the opportunities that have been available to him since joining the civil service. He tells us about feeling proud to work in a particularly important area, the learning and professional development opportunities he has benefited from, and his recent promotion to an ‘acting up’ position.

Elizabeth started her career in the civil service as a Clerical Officer in the area of trade facilitation in Customs. Having benefited from a range of learning and development opportunities, she was promoted to Executive Officer (supervisor grade) in the Office of the Revenue Commissioners. Elizabeth enjoys working in the civil service as she finds the sector very family friendly, with many supports in place for employees around well-being.

Ben is a Clerical Officer in the Passport Office in Cork, which is part of the Department of Foreign Affairs. He tells us about some of the great experiences he has had in the role from chaperoning UN dignitaries from the Small Islands Developing States group on their visit to Ireland to his work chairing the diversity committee of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Milan is a Clerical Officer in the Special Assignee Relief Programme unit in the Office of the Revenue Commissioners. He tells us about what his role entails, the career mobility opportunities he has availed of, and the excellent learning and development programmes he has benefitted from during his career in the civil service. He also offers some great first-hand advice on applying for a Clerical Officer role. 

We recently contributed to an Irish Times Special Report which highlighted how infrastructure, assistive technology and flexible hours facilitate those with disabilities. Siobhan McKenna, our Head of ED&I at the Public Appointments Service, provided her expertise and knowledge on inclusive recruitment and best practice in ED&I.

We are looking forward to joining a number of graduate career fairs over the coming weeks to promote the range of graduate career opportunities we have available across the Civil and Public Service. Graduate opportunities within the Civil and Public Service are designed to inspire, challenge and support the next generation of Civil and Public Service leaders.

Today, we are delighted to officially launch a new schools programme for second-level students that aims to spark their interest in the wide variety of career opportunities that are available across the public sector. The Public Jobs Schools Resource Kit presents information about public sector careers in a new way for guidance counsellors and other teachers, to build confidence around discussing career options in the public sector with students and their parents.  

We were delighted to launch our first Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) strategy as part of our #InclusionMatters webinar event on Tuesday 23^rd March. This lively and engaging two-hour webinar explored the theme of inclusive recruitment and employment, as well as showcasing strategies and initiatives that can help us move towards delivering a public service that is reflective of the communities it serves. 

On International Women's Day, we celebrate the achievements of women and highlight the importance of equality in leadership to create positive and productive work environments. We caught up with some of our successful women in leadership roles at publicjobs.ie who share their personal experiences in their careers and offer advice and inspiration to others to help them build fulfilling careers.

On International Women's Day, we celebrate the achievements of women and highlight the importance of equality in leadership to create positive and productive work environments. We caught up with some of our successful women in leadership roles at publicjobs.ie who share their personal experiences in their careers and offer advice and inspiration to others to help them build fulfilling careers.

On International Women's Day, we celebrate the achievements of women and highlight the importance of equality in leadership to create positive and productive work environments. We caught up with some of our successful women in leadership roles at publicjobs.ie who share their personal experiences in their careers and offer advice and inspiration to others to help them build fulfilling careers.

Video calls have become a big part of our everyday lives, so it’s easy to become complacent when your next video call is an interview for that job you have always wanted.

Don’t stress though as we are here to help!