r/IrishCivilService

I’ve just gotten a job offer but need to get a Police Clearance Certificate for about 8 countries I’ve lived in abroad. The department has given me basically no guidance on this and several of the countries I lived in either don’t have diplomatic relations with ireland or have ‘collapsed’ governments. Does anyone have any recommendations of how to get started with these countries and if exemptions are available how I would know this? TIA

Anyone has any updates they would like to share? Anyone on interview stage Clearance stage? Oom if possible please 🥺

Hi everyone,

​I recently completed my interview for the Clerical Officer campaign and retained my original OOM from Stage 1 (I am in the top 3).

​I am in a quiet county with historically low movement, but being placed this high on the panel gives me some hope. However, I’m confused about how the interview batching works: despite being in the top 3, I was assigned to Batch 4 for my interview.

​I reached out to PublicJobs to ask if anyone ahead of me had been called for clearance yet or where the panel currently stands, but the response was fairly vague. They just confirmed that no one has been called for clearance so far.

​A couple of questions for anyone familiar with how PAS/PublicJobs manages these panels:

1. ​How are interview batches formed? Does being in Batch 4 mean there are a dozen candidates being processed ahead of me?

2. Realistic timeline: Given that no one in the county has been called for clearance yet, is there any realistic chance of movement or a call for Garda clearance over the next few months, or is it strictly a waiting game until a local department requests a headcount?

​

Would appreciate any insights or similar experiences with quiet county panels! Thanks in advance.

Passed my interview guys!

I held a previous post for 8 weeks in the civil service in 2020 - 2021.

Unfortunately didn't pass probationary period. I am certain I won't get a reference from this employment. I note the following from the email regarding references:

"Note on References: The National Recruitment Service must be satisfied that it has a full and comprehensive suite of references which assures it that the candidate’s past performance and behaviours are appropriate to the post. The National Recruitment Service determines the merit, appropriateness, and relevance of references. Please note :

The National Recruitment Service may retract a post if sufficient satisfactory references cannot be obtained in a time frame congruent with service need. The National Recruitment Service reserves the right to retract a job offer should the successful candidate be unable to fulfil the provisions / criteria of the specific post in line with service need. "

Will it cause an issue with clearance if I can't get a reference from this past employment? I have held other employments since this period.

Hi all, due to a change in circumstances I am considering reducing my hours.

How does flexi work on a reduced hours pattern? For example

On the 9-3 roster or mornings only roster?

ETA - Thanks so much for the replies. Appreciate the info 👍

Just asking if anyone has transfered pensions with previous employers to the Cs pension scheme. Is it beneficial given I will most likely be staying in the civil service and if it's straightforward. I've an ok size pension with the others.

Hi everyone, long time lurker first time poster.

I've been invited to do an in-person Excel & Word assessment for an EO role. While I am pretty confident with both, I was just wondering if anybody has any experience with doing these tests?

Is it an exam hall type of situation with other candidates or is it a 1 on 1 with an interviewer? I did not receive any information on how the tests are to be conducted other than a time and place and the fear of the unknown is getting to me! Any insight would be much appreciated GRMA!

Hello, just wondering if anyone else is working in the corporate/adminstrative side of Tusla. I've applied for this role and wondering what it's like to work in. I think these Data Protection roles are new as they have a lot to work to do around Data protection looking at recent news! Thanks.

Hi everyone,

I left work early Tuesday and was out sick the whole day on Wednesday due to a flu, and then was on annual leave from Thursday to today.

My manager is saying that I need a sick cert for the whole period covering when I was sick and on annual leave as I technically am not returning to work tomorrow.

Is this true? It seems stupid that is have to take 8 days of leave when I was only sick for a day and a half and it seems weird that the policy is that I’d have to effectively lie to my doctor.

I know that’s the policy say if you’re sick Friday and Monday over a weekend it counts as sick the whole time but I’m returning as expected after my annual leave which I had pre booked.

I’m worried about have an 8 day sick absence as I’ve already got a few days and am going for the EO panel and don’t want to look like I’m taking the piss.

Anyone else experiencing such a difficult time with getting responses from hr and nsso regarding pay?

Hi Everyone!

I am in my mid 20s and beginning a role as EO in the coming weeks. I have a bachelor’s degree, work experience across hospitality and an internship in financial services.

I’m very much looking forward to starting the role as it will be my first graduate position and the career progression in the civil service is one of the main reasons I applied. However, I am aware that I am on the younger side for someone beginning an EO role, so any advice for someone in my position would be greatly appreciated! If anyone has had a similar experience or had any titbits of advice please let me know 🙏🏻

Cheers

This is a long shot, but seeing if anyone else was in a similar position. I was out of the country on pre-approved leave for 6 weeks and therefore did not have access to emails (IT has already sent emails saying it’ll be flagged if someone logs in from outside Ireland and we also are blocked to set email rules for messaging forwarding to a private email). During this time there was an expression of interest for an apprenticeship programme that I would’ve loved to do, a dream career opportunity. The deadline was the week before I returned to the office. I immediately emailed HR to see if they would make an exception and allow me to submit a late EOI. I didn’t get back a yes or no just that the deadline was so and so date, etc. I told them I was chancing my arm as I was on leave and only just saw the email, there was no reply. Anyone been in a similar situation? Should I submit a formal appeal to the head of HR? Or is this a lost cause? I don’t think this opportunity will arise again. To note, it was just an EOI not a formal application.

I've reached my limit after working in private sector in tech for 10 years. I'm wondering how prevalent corporate BS is in civil service IT departments? I really don't want to sit on meetings all day anymore about 90% nonsense.

This competition ran in June and I am wondering if anyone here applied for it? I was surprised to see no mention of it here in this thread before now.

EDIT: Good to see a good few of you applied. Are any of you currently CS? If so what grade? Are you working in Comms currently? I found the math testing painful as its really not my strong point, hoping to get through it and do better at interview level.

Interesting to see everyone seems to have had difficulty with the testing, I felt the exact same, math has never been my strong point. I am a Comms Specialist EO and this process so far has been much harder than what I went through.

I am on a 2 month contract which is due to end in early September. Some team members have said it may be possible to extend, but others aren't sure. I like the place so am hoping I might be able to stay on longer. Any advice??

I've been a sahp for a long time, now at clearance stage for co. They're asking for a welfare statement, but I wasn't in receipt of any payment apart from child benefit - do I get a statement to say that? From mygov or elsewhere?

I'd really appreciate any advice from anyone who's been in this position, Ty!

I'm 2nd on a specialist AP panel. Got an email asking if I'm interested in the upcoming vacancy which was just approved. I have emailed them to say yes. What would be the timeline now?
As I'm no.1 for an AO in a county council panel expecting an offer shortly and not sure if I should accept knowing the AP is what I want and with the offer pending.

Hello all!
I’ll soon be starting as an administrative officer in a government department.
I’d like to be as prepared as possible so I’m asking for advice about anything I can do in the next few weeks to make sure I hit the ground running.

Thanks in advance!

I’m due to start in the department of health as an EO soon - not sure about the unit yet. I assume i’ll be on baggot street, but would love to hear any insights about office culture / workload etc.