97% of public jobs workers are ‘white Irish’ – research

Research on equality in the Irish public service found that 97% of people working in public jobs were white Irish and that 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 that there were too many barriers to employment.

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

However, strict rules over who could apply for public service jobs meant that state jobs were often not open to migrants, some of whom had exactly the skill sets needed.

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

It also warned 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 Irish civil service has a very limited scope for hiring non-EEA/non-UK/non-Swiss migrants,” the paper said.

“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 added.

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

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

“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,” it added.

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

The HSE, for example, had the “broadest criteria” for applicants, while greater restrictions were in place for the diplomatic service, An Garda, 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,” the discussion paper said.

It said concerns over “potential discrimination” would also be addressed while sending a clear message that the Irish civil service was 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 was 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.

A spokeswoman explained that a working group had led the initiative to help “progress the wider public service goal of being an employer of choice by promoting diversity and inclusivity.”

“We are committed to proactively attracting a diversity of people with the character and skills to deliver for Ireland while also working with client organisations to ensure they provide the roles and employee experience needed to retain talent,” she added.

Reporting by Ken Foxe