Almost all public service employees are white Irish, research finds

Strict rules over who can apply for public service jobs means State jobs are often not open to migrants, some of whom have exactly the skill sets needed.

Research on equality in the Irish public service found 97% of people working in public jobs were white Irish and strict eligibility criteria made it far too difficult for migrants to apply for roles.

The discussion paper said the civil service “does not reflect the diversity in wider Irish society” and there are too many barriers to employment.

The research, from the Government agency in charge of hiring public sector staff, said it was proving extremely difficult for State bodies to source qualified candidates, especially in science, engineering, health and finance.

However, strict rules over who can apply for public service jobs means State jobs are often not open to migrants, some of whom have exactly the skill sets needed.

The discussion paper, prepared by the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Unit in Publicjobs.ie, said the size of the civil service was growing by 3.6% every year.

It also warns of a looming "great retirement" in the public sector, with more than 12,000 people set to conclude their service within the next decade.

The paper said: “The Irish civil service has a very limited scope for hiring non-EEA/non-UK/non-Swiss migrants.

The pool of eligible candidates at present excludes individuals who would have a robust immigration permission to reside and work in Ireland and potential candidates who could secure such permission.

It said a simple step would be to remove some of the eligibility requirements for public appointments, which could create a new pool of about 480,000 people who could apply for civil service posts.

The paper said Ireland had long been a “country of origin for immigrants” but this had been changing and continued to be a “positive thing” for the country.

It said: “A country’s labour market is a key site for integration and equity, and employment offers the single best opportunity for people to move out of a cycle of poverty and isolation and towards fully integrating and contributing to society.” 

The research said immigration status was a “key barrier” for employment with different rules according to which State organisation is involved.

The HSE, for example, had the “broadest criteria” for applicants, while greater restrictions were in place for the diplomatic service, gardaí and the Defence Forces.

“There is a compelling argument that a review and subsequent broadening of the current eligible categories of immigration permissions for the civil service would potentially greatly benefit the State in terms of skills and talent,” said the discussion paper.

It said concerns over “potential discrimination” would also be addressed while sending a clear message that the Irish civil service is committed to supporting under-represented groups.

A later presentation, based on the research, said nearly one in five residents of Ireland were born elsewhere and this is not reflected in the civil service.

It said the public sector was struggling with a “very competitive labour market” as well as “unpredictable post-pandemic anomalies” in what people expected from their jobs.

The slideshow said: “Removing this barrier will give the State access to a potentially large pool of talented and skilled people who have made Ireland their home.” 

Asked about the records, which were released under Freedom of Information laws, Publicjobs said discussions in 2022 and 2023 had led to the widening of eligibility criteria for the public sector.