General Information for Applicants

Receipt of Application:

Applications must be submitted in the format as set out for each competition.  Please follow the instructions carefully and ensure that your application is submitted in advance of the closing time.  Late applications will not be accepted under any circumstances. 

Acceptance of Application:

Before you apply for any position please familiarise yourself with the job description and ensure that you meet the essential requirements. The acceptance of an application from a person, or the requesting of a candidate to attend for interview or any other test, is not to be regarded as an admission that such person possesses the prescribed qualifications, experience or other essential requirements.  Prior to appointing any candidate to a position, the Authority will make any enquiries it deems necessary to establish the suitability of that candidate. 

Contact details:

All correspondence with applicants will be sent by email.  Please ensure that you have a valid email address and any change of applicant's email address or contact phone number should be notified immediately to the Human Resources Unit quoting the relevant competition reference.  During an active competition you are advised to check your email (including spam folders) on a regular basis. The onus is on each applicant to ensure they are in receipt of all correspondence from the Authority. 

Canvassing:

Any attempt by candidates themselves, or by any person(s) acting at their instigation, directly or indirectly, by means of written communication or otherwise, to canvas or otherwise influence in the candidate's favour any officer of the Authority or any person acting on behalf of the Authority, will automatically disqualify the candidates for the position(s) they are seeking.

Eligibility to compete:

Eligibility to compete is conditional on applicants, where relevant, having the necessary requisite work permit/visa/permission to enable them to work legally in the Republic of Ireland.  The onus is on each applicant to satisfy themselves that they meet this requirement.

Selection Procedures:

In the event of a large number of applications the Authority may shortlist on the basis of information provided in the application. It is thus essential that candidates provide full details of qualifications and work experience in their curriculum vitae.  Selection methods may include:

• Shortlisting of applicants based on information contained in CV and/or application forms
• Competitive Preliminary interview
• Online testing of candidates abilities
• Assessment centre with work sample test or other exercises
• Presentation to selection panel
• Competitive Final Interview 

Notification to attend interview will normally issue one week in advance. Candidates will be required to attend for interview or any other tests at their own expense. It is not possible to alter the allocated interview/test date or time.

Candidate Obligations

1. Candidates who do not attend for interview or any other test when and where required, or who do not furnish any material or evidence that the Authority may require in relation to their application, will have no claim for further consideration.  Failure to furnish any documentation or other material within the required timelines will result in the candidate being deemed to have withdrawn their application from the competition.
2. Candidates must produce satisfactory documentary evidence of all qualifications claimed by them if required. Any credit given to a candidate at interview in respect of such claims is provisional and liable to revision if the necessary supporting documents are not furnished as requested.  The Authority may request copies of academic transcripts and/or verify the authenticity of an applicant’s qualifications with the relevant institutions.
3. Any candidate who supplies false or misleading information in their application may be disqualified.  Candidates must not personate another candidate at any stage or interfere with or compromise the process in any way.  Sharing information on the selection process through any means may result in you being disqualified.
4. The use of recording equipment of any type is not permitted at any stage of the recruitment process.  Any candidate found to be in breach of this provision will be disqualified from a competition.

Candidates Right to Review

The Authority will consider requests for review of the selection procedures/decisions in accordance with our Recruitment Policy.

We will endeavour to keep candidates informed of the progress of their application at the earliest possible date.

Offer of Appointment:

Before any offer of appointment is made:

1. Satisfactory references from two previous employers must be obtained. You will be asked to provide details of two referees at interview stage.
2. Candidates must pass a pre-employment medical examination by a qualified medical  practitioner nominated by the Authority.
3. For certain posts (e.g. Inspector ), security clearance by the Garda Síochána may be required.  Applicants will be required to complete and return a garda vetting form should they come under consideration for appointment.

Superannuation:

Candidates appointed to positions in the Authority will be offered the appropriate superannuation terms and conditions (including retirement age) as prevailing in the public service at the time.  In general, new staff who have never worked in the public service will be appointed on the basis of membership of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme.  Full details of the scheme are available at http://www.per.gov.ie/pensions

Prior Public Servants

While the default pension terms, as set out in the preceding paragraphs, consist of Single Scheme membership, this may not apply to certain appointees. Full details of the conditions governing whether or not a public servant is a Single Scheme member are given in the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) 2012 Act. The pay and pension entitlement of an appointee who previously served as a public servant will be established in the context of their public service employment history.

Pension Abatement

If the appointee has previously been employed in the Civil or Public Service and is in receipt of a pension from the Civil or Public Service or where a Civil/Public Service pension comes into payment during his/her re-employment that pension will be subject to abatement in accordance with the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012, (the 2012 Act).

Pension Accrual

A 40-year limit on total service that can be counted towards pension where a person has been a member of more than one pre-existing public service pension scheme (i.e. non-Single Scheme) as per the 2012 Act shall apply. The 40-year limit is provided for in the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and other Provisions) Act 2012. This may have implications for any appointee who has acquired pension rights in a previous public service employment.

Early Retirement Schemes and Redundancy Schemes within the public sector

Such schemes imposed certain conditions on those availing of these schemes in relation to employment at a later date in the wider public service.  The onus is on each applicant to ensure, that if they have availed of such a scheme, they are eligible to apply for this competition. 

Note: Applicants will be required to declare whether they have availed of such schemes and also to declare any entitlements they hold to a public service pension benefit from any other employment.

Ill-Health Retirement

Please note that where an individual has retired from a Civil/Public Service body on the grounds of ill-health his/her pension from that employment may be subject to review in accordance with the rules of ill-health retirement within the pension scheme of that employment.

Data Protection

The Authority will process any personal data provided by you in accordance with our Privacy Statement in relation to Personal Data and Recruitment.  This document may be viewed here.