Fórsa has secured an agreement on the contentious issue of psychometric testing in local authorities. The deal, which was brokered by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), will be considered by the union’s local government executive when it meets in Sligo today (Tuesday).

The agreement will see all staff with 12 months service or more proceed to the interview stage of any promotion competition they enter, with online testing confined to numeracy and literacy.

Speaking after the hearing, Fórsa national secretary Peter Nolan thanked branches for their support in the ballot for industrial action, which he said was crucial to securing agreement.

Local government executive member Tom Browne expressed satisfaction, noting that the exclusion of Fórsa members from interviews in councils like Galway and Cavan would not have occurred had the employers engaged with the union earlier.