Who are the Commissioners for Public Service Appointments?
The Commission consists of five ex-officio members:

Mr Sean Barrett, T.D., An Ceann Comhairle)

Mr Martin Frazer, Secretary General to the Government

(position vacant at present), Ombudsman

Mr Justice Matthew P. Smith, Chairperson, Standards in Public Office Commission.

Mr Robert Watt, Secretary General, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
For more information see Members of the Commission.
What does the Commission for Public Service Appointments do?
The Commission establishes standards of probity, merit, equity and fairness to be observed in the
appointment of persons to positions in the public bodies subject to its remit.
The Commission discharges its responsibilities by:

Publishing and maintaining Codes of Practice which set out the standards to be observed in
relation to appointments in the public service

Auditing and evaluating recruitment policies and practices to safeguard these standards and to
establish whether or not its Codes of Practice are being observed

Granting recruitment licences and revoking same where necessary

Issuing instructions and advices to licence holders

Establishing and setting down appropriate review/complaints procedures and examine complaints

Publishing a list of approved private sector recruitment agencies

Reporting to the Oireachtas and the government, and providing information to ministers on the
operation of recruitment and selection processes

Carrying out its powers and duties under the Public Service Management (Recruitment and
Appointments) Act 2004.

Making Excluding Orders where Civil Service Offices/Departments have presented a strong
business case for not making an appointment process
The Commission has responsibility for the protection of the public interest in relation to recruitment and
selection matters and uses its audit function to ensure that those operating its Codes are at all times
committed to the principles set out in them. The Commission contributes to the development of an effective
and impartial public service by carrying out the duties imposed on it by the Act. It provides an assurance to
the public that appointments are made on merit. This means that office holders select, from those
candidates available, the best person for the job for the purpose of ensuring, as far as reasonably possible,
that the duties of the job will be carried out effectively.
Can I make a complaint about an appointment process?
Yes. The Commission has set down procedures to address complaints and candidates’ requests for review
in relation to an appointment process. The Commission has established these procedures, set out in its
Codes of Practice, to ensure that reviews of public appointment and selection processes are conducted
fairly.
The review procedures apply to the appointment processes for all positions in the Health Service Executive
and in the Health Information and Quality Authority, almost all positions in the Civil Service, many
positions in An Garda Síochána, senior management and professional posts in local authorities and senior
management posts in vocational education committees.
Many issues can be resolved without resorting to the formal review procedures and the Commission
encourages individuals and recruiting bodies to make every effort to discuss and resolve concerns on an
informal basis.
You may request a review of an appointment process if:
• You are unhappy with an action or decision in relation to your application but do not believe there has
been a breach of the Code of Practice (Section 7 Review Procedures)
or
• You believe an aspect of the process breached the Commission’s Code of Practice (Section 8 Review
Procedures).
Please note that reviews under Section 7 and Section 8 are two distinct procedures and are mutually
exclusive. However where a breach of the Code of Practice is identified during a Section 7 review it is open
to the complainant to have this breach investigated under Section 8.
The Commission has no direct involvement in the investigation of complaints made under Section 7.
For more information see below and also the Commission’s information leaflet entitled Review Procedures
under Sections 7 and 8 of the Codes of Practice and Sections 7 and 8 of the relevant Code of Practice.
What are the Section 7 review procedures?
Section 7 of the relevant Code of Practice sets out the procedures to be followed if you are unhappy with an
action or decision in relation to your application but do not believe there has been a breach of the Code of
Practice.
Informal review
To request an informal review, you must write to the recruiting body within 5 working days of receiving
notification of the decision on your application. The recruiting body will carry out the informal review
without delay. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome, you may resort to the formal procedures set out
below within 2 working days of receiving notification of the outcome of the informal review.
Formal review
To request a formal review, you must write to the recruiting body, detailing your concerns and setting out
the aspects of the action or decision that you wish to have reviewed. You must submit your request within
10 working days of receiving notification of the decision on your application. This time limit is reduced to
4 working days if the decision relates to an interim stage (e.g. shortlisting, preliminary interview) of a
selection process. Requests for formal review should be addressed to the office holder in the recruiting
body, i.e. the head of the organisation carrying out the recruitment.
The recruiting body will confirm, within 3 working days, that it has received your request. A person in the
recruiting body who was not directly associated with the decision or action in question will conduct the
review and is known as the initial reviewer. You will receive a written report on the outcome of the review
within 20 working days. If a decision cannot be made within this timeframe, the initial reviewer will keep
you informed of the status of the review and the reasons for the delay.
If you are unhappy with the outcome, you can write to the recruiting body and request that your case be reexamined. This written request must be made within 7 working days of receiving the initial reviewer’s
report.
The recruiting body will confirm, within 3 working days, that it has received your request. A decision
arbitrator (a senior person appointed by the recruiting body who was unconnected with the selection
process in question) will consider whether the initial review has been carried out in line with proper
procedures by examining all the written information available in respect of the matter. Where necessary he
or she will also conduct interviews. The decision arbitrator can change or accept the decision of the initial
reviewer. You will receive a written report on the outcome of the re-examination within 10 working days.
The decision of the decision arbitrator is final.
What are the Section 8 review procedures?
Section 8 review procedures apply in cases where a person, who may or may not be a candidate, believes
that an appointment process has breached the Commission’s Code of Practice and wishes to have it
investigated.
Informal review
When a recruiting body receives an allegation of a breach of the Code of Practice, the Commission
recommends that it discuss the matter with the complainant to try to resolve it informally. The informal
review must be carried out by the recruiting body without delay.
If you are dissatisfied following informal discussions, you may resort to the formal procedures within 2
working days of receiving notification of the outcome of the informal review.
Formal review
You must write to the recruiting body providing details of the breach of the Code and enclosing any
relevant documentation that might support your allegation. Requests for formal review should be addressed
to the office holder in the recruiting body, i.e. the head of the organisation carrying out the recruitment.
The recruiting body will confirm, within 3 working days, that it has received your request. You will receive
a written report on the outcome of the review within 20 working days. If a decision cannot be made within
this timeframe, the reviewer will keep you informed of the status of the review and the reasons for the
delay.
If you are unhappy with the outcome of this review, you may refer the matter to the Commission for Public
Service Appointments in the form of an appeal of the review of the office holder. You must write to the
Commission within 10 working days of receiving the report of the office holder’s review. Your submission
should provide details of the alleged breach of the Code, the grounds of the appeal and all relevant
supporting documentation.
The Commission will confirm, within 3 working days, that it has received your request. You will receive a
written report on the outcome of the appeal within 25 working days. If a decision cannot be made within
this timeframe, the Commission will keep you informed of the status of the appeal and the reasons for the
delay. The decision of the Commission is final.
What is an Office Holder?
An Office Holder is the head of a department/office/body.
What is a Licence Holder?
A Licence Holder is a person to whom a recruitment licence has been granted.
How do I apply for a job in the Civil or Public Service?
Jobs in the Civil and Public Service are advertised widely. Public bodies under the remit of the
Commission must have a recruitment licence issued by the Commission in order to carry out open or
external recruitment. See list of public bodies that hold a recruitment licence issued by the Commission.
Does the Commission for Public Service Appointments carry out recruitment?
No. The Commission’s role is to regulate recruitment to public sector organisations and to ensure that
appointments are made on merit.
For more information see Role of the Commission.
See also the list of organisations holding a recruitment licence issued by the Commission.
Is the Commission for Public Service Appointments the same as the Civil Service Commission?
No. The Civil Service Commission was dissolved in 2004. Two new bodies were established:

The Commission for Public Service Appointments

The Public Appointments Service.
What are the procedures in place to exclude a position once sanction has been received from the
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform?
When sanction has been received from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the requesting
department should submit a request to the Commission (info @cpsa.ie), enclosing a detailed business case
explaining why the position should be excluded and what work the appointee will carry out. If the
submission is passed by the Commission, a seal is signed and the excluded position is officially approved.