Clerical Officer

The Role

The role of Clerical Officer offers successful candidates the opportunity to launch a rewarding career in the Civil Service, specifically within the Criminal Justice Sector. The Clerical Officers to be appointed will be required to undertake a range of administrative duties which will vary depending on the assignment.

The majority of our Clerical Officer positions are 100% based onsite providing administrative support to our legal professionals[1].

The following outlines the type of work that the officers may be required to undertake:

·        General administration duties e.g., opening files, processing correspondence, dealing with queries by email and/or telephone, data entry onto our Case Management System, reception cover, handling post, archiving old files, scanning, downloading and photocopying documents;

·        Supporting line managers and colleagues and working as part of a team in delivering services;

·        Providing an administrative support to a team of Solicitors;

·        Ensuring that all enquiries related to their duties are dealt with effectively, efficiently and within the set time frames;

·        Operation of ICT systems and standard software packages e.g. e-mail, MS Office, Excel, Case Management System.

Expertise and Competencies

The Clerical Officers to be appointed will be required to undertake a range of administrative duties which will vary depending on assignment.

Essential

Candidates must, on or before, 25 October 2024 have:

i)          The required knowledge, skills and competencies to carry out the role;

ii)          Demonstrated experience of working on their own initiative and as part of a team;

iii)          A good general level of education;

iv)          Be at least 17 years of age;

v)          Demonstrate the key competencies for effective performance at this level which are detailed at Appendix 2.

Desirable

In addition to the above, the following are desirable:

i)          Strong computing skills including use of databases and computerised filing systems;

ii)          Experience with Microsoft office packages, e.g. Word and Excel;

iii)           Have experience of working in a customer service and/ or office environment.

As the core business of the Office is the prosecution of crime, Clerical Officers assigned to Legal Divisions in the Office will have some contact with prosecution files, which may contain material of a distressing nature.

Principal Conditions of Service – Clerical Officer

General

The appointment is subject to the Civil Service Regulations Acts 1956 to 2005, the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004 and any other Act for the time being in force relating to the Civil Service.

Pay

The Salary for the position is as follows:

PPC (Personal Pension Contribution)[1] Pay Scale with effect from 1 October 2024:

€29,797 - €46,950 per year

Long service increments may be payable after 3(LSI1) and 6(LSI2) years satisfactory service at the maximum of the scale.

Candidates should note that different terms and conditions may apply if, immediately prior to appointment, the appointee is a serving civil or public servant.

Subject to satisfactory performance increments may be payable in line will current Government Policy.

You will agree that any overpayment of salary, allowances, or expenses will be repaid by you in accordance with Circular 07/2018: Recovery of Salary, Allowances, and Expenses Overpayments made to Staff Members/Former Staff Members/Pensioners.

Tenure and Probation

The appointment may be to a permanent or temporary position in the Civil Service. The probationary contract for a permanent position will be for a period of one year from the date specified on the contract. The contract for a temporary position will be for a period specified in the contract. Candidates offered a fixed term contract (FTC) post from this campaign will remain under consideration for any future permanent posts. Notwithstanding this paragraph and the paragraph immediately following below, this will not preclude an extension of the probationary contract in appropriate circumstances.

[1] The PPC rate applies when the individual is required to pay a Personal Pension Contribution (otherwise known as a main scheme contribution) in accordance with the rules of their main/personal superannuation scheme. This is different to a contribution in respect of membership of a Spouses’ and Children’s scheme or the Additional Superannuation Contributions (ASC). A different rate will apply where the appointee is a civil or public servant recruited before 6 April 1995 and who is not required to make a Personal Pension Contribution.

During the period of your probationary contract, your performance will be subject to review by your supervisor(s) to determine whether you:

       i)        Have performed in a satisfactory manner;

     ii)        Have been satisfactory in general conduct; and

    iii)        Are suitable from the point of view of health with particular regard to sick leave.

Prior to the completion of the probationary contract a decision will be made as to whether or not you will be retained pursuant to Section 5A (2) Civil Service Regulation Acts 1956 – 2005. This decision will be based on your performance assessed against the criteria set out in (i) to (iii) above. The detail of the probationary process will be explained to you by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and you will be given a copy of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s Guidelines on Probation.

Notwithstanding the preceding paragraphs in this section, the probationary contract may be terminated at any time prior to the expiry of the term of the contract by either side in accordance with the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Acts, 1973 to 2005.

In the following circumstances your contract may be extended and your probation period suspended.

• The probationary period stands suspended when an employee is absent due to Maternity or Adoptive Leave.
• In relation to an employee absent on Parental Leave or Carers Leave, the employer may require probation to be suspended if the absence is not considered to be consistent with the continuation of the probation, and
• Any other statutory provision providing that probation shall -

(i)               stand suspended during an employee’s absence from work, and

(ii)              be completed by the employee on the employees return from work after such absence.

Where probation is suspended the employer should notify the employee of the circumstances relating to the suspension.

If an appointee who fails to satisfy the conditions of probation has been a serving civil servant immediately prior to their appointment from this competition, the issue of reversion will normally arise.  In the event of reversion, an officer will return to a vacancy in their former grade in their former Department.

Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977-2015

The Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977-2015 will not apply to the termination of the employment by reason only of the expiry of the fixed term contract without it being renewed.

Duties

The officer will be required to perform any duties appropriate to the position which may be assigned from time to time. The officer may not engage in private practice or be connected with any outside business which would interfere with the performance of official duties or conflict in any way with the position to which the candidate is appointed.

Location

The Office is in Dublin. Due to the nature of the work of the ODPP there might be occasions in which our employees must attend official business in locations outside of Dublin. When absent from home and headquarters on official duty, appropriate travelling expenses and subsistence allowances will be paid in line with civil service regulations.

Hours of attendance

Hours of attendance will be fixed from time to time but will amount to not less than 41 hours and 15 minutes’ gross per week or 35 hours’ net per week. The successful candidate will be required to work such additional hours from time to time as may be reasonable and necessary for the proper performance of their duties subject to the limits set down in the working time regulations. The rate of remuneration payable covers any extra attendance liability that may arise from time to time.

Annual Leave

The annual leave allowance will be 22 working days, rising to 23 days after 5 years’ service 24 days after 10 years’ service, 25 after 12 years’ service and 26 after 14 years’ service in the grade. This allowance, which is subject to the usual conditions regarding the granting of annual leave, is on the basis of a five-day week and is exclusive of the usual public holidays.

Sick Leave

Pay during properly certified sick absence, provided there is no evidence of permanent disability for service, will apply on a pro-rata basis, in accordance with the Public Service Management (Sick Leave) Regulations (SI 124 of 2014), the Public Service Management (Sick Leave) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 (SI 384 of 2015), the Public Service Management (Sick Leave) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (SI 407 of 2023), and any relevant circular.

Officers who will be paying Class A rate of PRSI will be required to sign a mandate authorising the Department of Social Protection to pay any benefits due under the Social Welfare Acts directly to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Payment during illness will be subject to the officer making the necessary claims for social insurance benefit to the Department of Social Protection within the required time limits.

Superannuation and Retirement

The successful candidate will be offered the appropriate superannuation terms and conditions as prevailing in the Civil Service at the time of being offered an appointment.  In general, an appointee who has never worked in the Public Service will be offered appointment based on membership of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme (“Single Scheme”). Full details of the Scheme are at www.singlepensionscheme.gov.ie

Where the appointee has worked in a pensionable (non-Single Scheme terms) public service job in the 26 weeks prior to appointment or is currently on a career break or special leave with/without pay different terms may apply. The pension entitlement of such appointees will be established in the context of their public service employment history.

 Key provisions attaching to membership of the Single Scheme are as follows: 

·        Pensionable Age: The minimum age at which pension is payable is the same as the age of eligibility for the State Pension, currently 66.

·        Retirement Age: Scheme members must retire on reaching the age of 70.

·        Career average earnings are used to calculate benefits (a pension and lump sum amount accrue each year and are up-rated each year by reference to CPI).

·        Post retirement pension increases are linked to CPI.

Pension Abatement

If the appointee has previously been employed in the Civil or Public Service and is in receipt of a pension from the Civil or Public Service or where a Civil/Public Service pension comes into payment during their re-employment that pension will be subject to abatement in accordance with Section 52 of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012. Please note: In applying for this position you are acknowledging that you understand that the abatement provisions, where relevant, will apply. It is not envisaged that the employing Department/Office will support an application for an abatement waiver in respect of appointments to this position.

·        However, if the appointee was previously employed in the Civil or Public Service and awarded a pension under voluntary early retirement arrangements (other than the Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement (ISER), the Department of Health Circular 7/2010 VER/VRS or the Department of Environment, Community & Local Government Circular letter LG(P) 06/2013, any of which renders a person ineligible for the competition)the entitlement to that pension will cease with effect from the date of reappointment. Special arrangements may, however be made for the reckoning of previous service given by the appointee for the purpose of any future superannuation award for which the appointee may be eligible.

·        Department of Education and Skills Early Retirement Scheme for Teachers Circular 102/2007

The Department of Education and Skills introduced an Early Retirement Scheme for Teachers. It is a condition of the Early Retirement Scheme that with the exception of the situations set out in paragraphs 10.2 and 10.3 of the relevant circular documentation, and with those exceptions only, if a teacher accepts early retirement under Strands 1, 2 or 3 of this scheme and is subsequently employed in any capacity in any area of the public sector, payment of pension to that person under the scheme will immediately cease. Pension payments will, however, be resumed on the ceasing of such employment or on the person's 60th birthday, whichever is the later, but on resumption, the pension will be based on the person's actual reckonable service as a teacher (i.e. the added years previously granted will not be taken into account in the calculation of the pension payment).

·        Ill-Health-Retirement

Please note any person who previously retired on ill health grounds under the terms of a superannuation scheme are required to declare, at the initial application phase, that they are in receipt of such a pension to the organisation administering the recruitment competition. 

Applicants will be required to attend the CMO’s office to assess their ability to provide regular and effective service taking account of the condition which qualified them for IHR.

Appointment post Ill-health retirement from Civil Service

If successful in their application through the competition, the applicant should to be aware of the following:

       i)          If deemed fit to provide regular and effective service and assigned to a post, their civil service ill-health pension ceases.

     ii)          If the applicant subsequently fails to complete probation or decides to leave their assigned post, there can be no reversion to the civil service IHR status, nor reinstatement of the civil service IHR pension, that existed prior to the application nor is there an entitlement to same.

    iii)          The applicant will become a member of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme (SPSPS) upon appointment if they have had a break in pensionable public/civil service of more than 26 weeks.

Please note more detailed information in relation to pension implications for those in receipt of a civil or public service ill-health pension is available via this link or upon request to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Pension Accrual

A 40-year limit on total service that can be counted towards pension where a person has been a member of more than one pre-existing public service pension scheme (i.e. non-Single Scheme) as per the 2012 Act shall apply. This 40-year limit is provided for in the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012. This may have implications for any appointee who has acquired pension rights in a previous public service employment.

Additional Superannuation Contribution

This appointment is subject to the Additional Superannuation Contribution (ASC) in accordance with the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017. Note; ASC deductions are in addition to any pension contributions (main scheme and spouses’ and children’s contributions) required under the rules of your pension scheme.

For further information in relation to the Single Public Service Pension Scheme please see the following website: www.singlepensionscheme.gov.ie