Salaries: Clerical officer:

19 years of age and under: £171.21 per week Over 20 years of age: Starting salary £191.32 per week rising to a maximum of £328.75 per week.

Executive officer:

Starting annual salaries are age-related £10,656 under 19 years of age £15,736 at age 23 and older Rising to a maximum of £23,014

Administrative officer / third secretary:

£15,836 to £27,991 a year

Source: Local Appointments Commission

Employment:

Over 29,000 people are employed in the civil service, making it the country's largest employer. This includes more than 11,000 clerical staff, 8,000 executive / administrative staff and 4,000 specialist professionals in a wide variety of disciplines.

Grades: The main civil service grades follow a hierarchical structure: clerical officer, staff officer, executive officer, higher executive officer/ administrative officer, assistant principal, principal, assistant secretary, secretary (appointed by the Government)

Applications process

Open competitions for posts in the civil service are advertised by the Civil Service Commission in the national newspapers.

Functions of the civil service

There are two basic functions: "the efficient provision of Government services and the formulation of policy advice to assist Government."

Useful address:

Civil Service Commission, 1 Lower Grand Canal Street, Dublin 2. Phone - (01) 661 5611.