CHANGE is sweeping through the corridors of the Department of Justice on St Stephen's Green since its acquisition of the additional arms of Equality and Law Reform.
The war-hardened civil servants on the Justice side, more accustomed to Defence of the Realmtype politics than equality agendas, are having to come to terms with what some refer to as the new "touchy-feely" side of their department - Equality. It is said this is creating something of a challenge for many in what is probably the State's most conservative department.
Now the "touchy-feely" side is likely to get an even more tactile hold in the offices with the creation of the position of Director of Equality Services in, to give it its full title, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
An extraordinary 200-plus application forms have been sent out to prospective candidates for the job which is understood to carry a salary of about £60,000 (the job description seeks someone who is ready to "drive the equality agenda").
This contrasts with the level of interest in the other big new job in Justice, that of director of the Prison Services, which, as Quidnunc revealed last week, has potential applicants first inquiring about the severance arrangements, despite the £81,000 salary. It attracted less than 50 requests for application forms and, so arduous and unpredictable a position is it judged to be, it is understood that by the deadline less than 10 had been returned.