Tuesday, February 07, 2012
In the midst of the furore over public service retirements, the Government is actually hiring some temporary staff.
The Department of the Taoiseach is seeking applications for temporary positions in its EU affairs and co-ordination division.
This division will manage policy preparations for Ireland’s six-month presidency of the EU in 2013.
The department wants to hire several people on contracts of between nine and 18 months.
The likelihood of the Government needing more staff to handle the presidency was well flagged.
In a submission to the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure last year, the Department of Foreign Affairs warned that the presidency would cost at least €70m, that there was already an opening shortfall in meeting those costs, and that extra funding and staff would both be required.
The Government is now seeking to hire staff, stressing: “Ireland’s EU presidency in the first six months of 2013 is a priority for the Government. The presidency provides a unique opportunity for Ireland to play a key role in EU affairs.”
It is seeking candidates who have:
* A first or second-class honours degree in European studies, EU law, or European politics.
* A strong interest in EU affairs and a good knowledge of EU processes.
* Excellent MS Excel and Powerpoint skills.
The Government advert also says that competency in French or German “would be an advantage”.
Those hired will work on “planning and preparation for presidency meetings and events” and assisting in “the collation of reports and information materials”.
The salary is €29,024 a year, but because these are temporary positions, the Government has made clear that there will be no entitlement to civil service status.
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