Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 May 2026
352. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Transport the position regarding any mechanism in place within his Department that allows for civil servants to transfer on secondment to an equivalent role within the European Union, without negatively impacting their pension and other employment rights; his views on the merits of such a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34432/26]
View answerOfficers in my department are eligible to apply for secondments to EU institutions, bodies and agencies for a fixed period of time. My department regularly receives a list of vacancies in EU institutions from the Department of Foreign Affairs. Upon a review of these vacancies, those deemed to be relevant to the work of the Department are circulated to staff in my department. Officers who are successful in the selection processes for these roles are seconded to the relevant EU institution. These temporary assignments allow secondees to retain their original employment status and rights. These are governed by the overarching Secondment Policy for the Civil Service (Circular 27/2021).
At the end of the secondment, the officer returns to the Department at their substantive grade.
