Court Messenger

1. The Role

The role will be to provide support to the County Registrar assigned to the County of Kildare in his/her capacity as Sheriff and under the terms of the Enforcement of Court Orders Act, 1926, as amended.

The appointee will be assigned duties and responsibilities commensurate with the grade.

The duties of a Court Messenger include, but are not limited to:

(a)              Enforcement of Decrees, Execution Orders, Fi Fas and Repossession Orders by:

·        the collection of monies on foot of Court Judgments lodged in the Court Office

·        the seizure and sale of goods to realise Judgment Debts

·        taking possession of lands and houses on foot of Court Orders including ejectment of persons in occupation

(b)              Maintenance of appropriate records to include:

·        Responsibility for cash, cheques and drafts received, issuing temporary receipts and accounting for monies received

·        Recording and updating of files and issue of appropriate notices and correspondence

·        Use of information technology systems

 (c) Customer Service

·        Maintaining contact with relevant stakeholders

·        Dealing effectively and speedily with customer queries

(d)          Other appropriate duties as assigned by the Office Manager.

In discharging the duties detailed at (a) above, the appointee shall follow all directions relating thereto issued to him/her by the County Registrar (see Section 4 and 5 of the Enforcement of Court Orders Act, 1926 for more information)

In discharging the duties at (b) to (d), the appointee shall report to the Office Manager or such person within the office designated for this purpose by the Office Manager or the Courts Service.

The Court Messenger, being based at Kildare Court Office, will report to the Court Office Manager in relation to all HR matters e.g. annual leave, sick leave, performance management etc and any other matters not encompassed in (a) to (d) above.

Additionally, a Court Messenger, at the direction of the Courts Service, may be required to provide assistance in other counties, where for example, the permanent Court Messenger is on extended leave of absence, or the position is vacant.

Note, the above is intended as a guide and is neither definitive nor restrictive.

3. Essential Requirements:

Candidates will be expected to demonstrate the following:

• Customer Focus and Communication Skills
• Delivery of Results
• Effective Decision-Making Skills

Applicants must have a full clean driving licence, motor insurance and their own transport as travel throughout County of Kildare is a necessary part of the duties of the Court Messenger. The successful candidate will be required to increase their motor insurance to Class 2. The Courts Service will reimburse the cost of this. The Standard Civil Service travel expenses will be paid.

It is desirable that applicants have previous relevant work experience and good IT skills.

4. APPLICATION PROCESS

Application should be made by logging into the advertisement link.

The closing date is 12noon on 31 January 2025. Applications received after the closing date and time will not be accepted.

Candidates who do not hold or do not demonstrate the skills and experience will not be called for interview.

The admission of a person to a competition, or invitation to attend an interview, is not to be taken as implying the Courts Service is satisfied such a person fulfils the requirements of the competition or is not disqualified by law from holding the position and does not carry a guarantee that your application will receive further consideration. It is important, therefore, for candidates to note that the onus is on them to ensure that they meet the eligibility requirements for the competition before attending for interview. If a candidate does not meet these essential entry requirements but nevertheless attends for interview, that candidate will be putting him or herself to unnecessary expense.

It is important to note the onus is on applicants to ensure the eligibility requirements for the competition are met before attending for interview.

The Courts Service accepts no responsibility for communication not accessed or received by an applicant.

5. Selection Methods

The Selection Process will involve:

·                 Shortlisting of candidates, on the basis of the information contained in their CV & Cover Letter

·                 a competitive interview

Assessment

The Courts Service will short list to select a group for interview who, based on an examination of the CV & cover letter, appear to be the most suitable for the position.

Those that demonstrate evidence at the required level will be called to interview.

Skills and competencies

Candidates should demonstrate that they have the ability to carry out successfully the duties of the role, as well as the general skills and competencies namely:

Has excellent Customer Service and Communication Skills where he/she:

• Actively listens to others and tries to understand their perspectives/requirements/needs
• Understands the steps or processes that customers must go through and can explain these
• Is respectful, courteous and professional, remains composed even in challenging circumstances
• Is firm when necessary and communicates with confidence and authority
• Communicates clearly and fluently when speaking and in writing, using correct grammar and spelling
• Develops and maintains good working relationships with others, sharing information and knowledge, as appropriate.

Delivers Results where he/she:

• Takes responsibility for work and sees it through to an appropriate level
• Completes work in a timely manner
• Adapts quickly to new ways of doing things
• Checks all work thoroughly to ensure it is completed to a high standard and learns from mistakes
• Draws reasonable conclusions from written instructions
• Identifies and appreciates the urgency and importance of different tasks
• Demonstrates initiative and flexibility in ensuring work is delivered
• Is self-reliant and uses judgement on when to ask his/her Manager or colleagues for guidance.

Has Effective Decision-Making Skills where he/she:

·       Evaluates circumstances and considers his /her approach

·       Deals effectively with a wide range of information sources, investigating all relevant issues

·       Understands the practical implication of information in relation to the broader context (procedures, divisional objectives etc)

·       Identifies and understands key issues and trends

·       Correctly extracts and interprets numerical information, conducting accurate numerical calculations

·       Draws accurate conclusions and makes balanced and fair recommendations backed up with evidence

Candidates with Disabilities

The Courts Service has a key role to play in attracting candidates from all sectors of society, ensuring that routes to career opportunities are accessible to all who are interested. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all candidates. If you have a disability or need reasonable accommodation made during the selection process, we strongly encourage you to share this with us so that we can ensure you get the support you need.

Reasonable accommodation in our selection process refers to adjustments and practical changes which would enable a disabled candidate to have an equal opportunity for this competition. Examples of adjustments we provide include the use of assistive technology, extra time, scribes and/or readers or a range of other accommodations.

Please be assured that having a disability or requiring adjustments will not impact on your progress in the selection process; you will not be at a disadvantage if you disclose your disability or requirements to us. Your disability and/or adjustments will be kept entirely confidential.

6. Interviews

Interviews will take place in at a location in Naas, Co. Kildare. Interviews will be structured in format, with candidates asked to provide examples of the competencies for the role as outlined in Section 5 of this document.

Interview

The competencies will be thoroughly and systematically assessed at interview to assess suitability for the grade of Court Messenger.

The board may ask about the experiences described on the CV and cover letter or they may ask for other examples.

It is anticipated the interview will last 30 minutes.

Marks allocated at interview

Each of the competencies will carry equal marks of 40 therefore a total of 120 marks is available.

Candidates are required to achieve 20 marks in each competency to be considered for progression to the panel.

Panel Formation

Following the interview process a panel will be formed for the purpose of filling a Court Messenger Position.

Candidates will be ranked in order of merit based on performance at interview.

This panel will remain in place until 31 December 2025 from the date of formation of the panel or until the exhaustion of the panel whichever is the earlier.

Candidates who have not been offered a position at the expiry of the panel will have no claim to any further positions thereafter because of having been on the panel.

Confidentiality

Candidates can expect that all enquiries, applications and all aspects of the proceedings to the extent that they are managed by the Courts Service are treated as strictly confidential subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2014. However, candidates should note that all application material may be made available to the interview board. Certain items of information, not specific to any individual, are extracted from computer records for general statistical purposes.

Garda Vetting

Garda vetting will be sought in respect of individuals who come under consideration for appointment. The applicant will be required to complete and return a Garda Vetting form should they come under consideration for appointment.

This form will be forwarded to An Garda Siochána for security checks on all Irish and Northern Irish addresses at which they resided. Enquiries may also be made with the police force of any country in which the applicant under consideration for appointment resided. If the applicant subsequently comes under consideration for another position, they will be required to supply this information again.

Other important information

The Courts Service will not be responsible for refunding any expenses incurred by candidates.

Prior to recommending any candidate for appointment to this position the Courts Service will make all such enquiries that are deemed necessary to determine the suitability of that candidate. Until all stages of the recruitment process have been fully completed a final determination cannot be made nor can it be deemed or inferred that such a determination has been made.

Should the person recommended for appointment decline, or having accepted it, relinquish it, or if an additional vacancy arises the Courts Service may, at its discretion, select and recommend another person for appointment on the results of this selection process.

Review and Complaint Procedures under the Code of Practice for Appointments to Positions in the Civil and Public Service

If a candidate is unhappy following the outcome of any stage of a selection process, they can either:

1.     Request a Review of a decision made during the process Or

2.     Make a Complaint that the selection process followed was unfair

A candidate can follow either one of the two procedures in relation to the same aspect of a selection process, but not both. Where a review of a selection process has taken place under Section 7 (as detailed below), a complainant may not seek a further review of the same process under Section 8, other than in the most exceptional circumstances that will be determined by the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) at its sole discretion.

There is no obligation on the Courts Service to suspend an appointment process while a Review or Complaint is being considered. However, the CPSA expects that, where possible, the Courts Service will intervene in cases where it finds an error is likely to have occurred.

Requesting a Review under Section 7

A request for review may be taken by a candidate should they be dissatisfied with an action or decision taken by the Courts Service. The Courts Service will consider requests for review in accordance with the provisions of Section 7 of the Code of Practice for Appointments to Positions in the Civil and Public Service published by the CPSA.

When making a request for a review, the candidate must support their request by outlining the facts they believe show that the action taken or decision reached was wrong. A request for review may be refused if the candidate cannot support their request.

The Informal Review will consist of a desk-based examination of any available information in relation to the recruitment process and the decision taken regarding the candidate’s application. The outcome of the Informal Review Process will be communicated to the requester in writing.

•       A request for Informal Review must be made within 5 working days of notification of the decision and will normally take place between the candidate and a representative of the Courts Service who had played a key role in the administration of the selection process.

•       Where a candidate remains dissatisfied following any such informal discussion, he/she may adopt the formal procedures set out below.

A request for Formal Review must be made within 5 working days of either the notification of the selection decision, or the notification of the outcome of the Informal Review process. Any extension of these time limits will only be granted in the most exceptional of circumstances and will be at the sole discretion of the Chief Executive.

•       The candidate must address his/her concerns in relation to the process in writing to the Personnel Officer of the Courts Service (via email to careers@courts.ie, or in writing to Personnel Officer, Human Resources, 15/24 Phoenix Street North, Smithfield, Dublin 7), outlining the facts that they believe show an action taken or decision reached was wrong.

•       The Formal Review will be conducted by a person who is completely independent of the selection process

•       The outcome of the Formal Review must generally be notified to the candidate within 25 working days of receipt of the request for review. If the investigation does not produce a decision within this time, the Courts Service must keep the candidate informed of the status of the review and the reasons for the delay.

7. MATTERS RELATING TO ELIGIBILITY TO APPLY

Citizenship Requirements

Eligible candidates must be:

(a)  A citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA consists of the Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; or

(b)  A citizen of the United Kingdom (UK); or

(c)   A citizen of Switzerland pursuant to the agreement between the EU and Switzerland on the free movement of persons; or

(d)  A non-EEA citizen who has a stamp 41 or a Stamp 5 visa;

1Please note that a 50 TEU visa, which is a replacement for Stamp 4EUFAM after Brexit, is acceptable as a Stamp 4 equivalent.

8. PRINCIPAL CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

The appointment is subject to the Civil Service Regulation 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. Appointees will be subject to the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour.

Tenure

The appointment is to an established position in the Civil Service.

Salary

The salary scale for the position (rates effective from October 2024) is as follows:

Court Messenger - Personal Pension Contribution Salary Scale:

€573.55, €632.79, €644.14, €693.33, €735.36, €772.29 (NMAX), €797.60 (LSI[1]), €824.45 (LSI[2])

New entrants to the Civil Service will be appointed to the first point of the (PPC) salary scale.

The PPC pay 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 not required to make a Personal Pension Contribution.

Salary is payable weekly in arrears by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) into a bank account of the appointees’ choice. Payment cannot be made until an appointee supplies a bank account number and bank sort code to the Human Resources Unit of the Courts Service. Statutory deductions will be made from salary as appropriate by the Courts Service.

Candidates should note that the salary quoted will not be subject to negotiation. The rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy.

Duties

Appointees will be expected to perform all acts, duties and obligations as appropriate to this position (which may be revised from time to time).