Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan has said the limited data available from the Public Appointments Service (PAS) reveals that appointments to public services roles are not reflective of the diverse communities that they serve. He said the apparent lack of diversity “raises some concerns for the public service more broadly.”

Addressing the Irish Association of Former Parliamentarians, at its 9th annual seminar earlier this month, Kevin said skilled workers from 117 different countries have brought their expertise to our healthcare system and that - without them – “we must question how quickly the provision of healthcare in this country would crumble.”

The theme of the seminar was “The Challenges and Opportunities of a Multicultural Society.”

Kevin said the available data “paints a distinct picture of our healthcare and social work sector. Knowing the vast diversity of our healthcare workers assists us in prioritising how best we can support the people who provide such a vital public service."

“As trade unions, we must ensure that these individuals are protected from discrimination, can be integrated into communities, and are welcomed into new spaces with open arms." Kevin also emphasised that employers have an obligation to provide workplaces that are free from hate speech and in which their staff feel safe.

Kevin added that, in contrast to health service data (from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland), information on the participation of migrant workers is not captured across the entirety of the public service. 

He said limited information available from the Public Appointments System (PAS) shows that 88% of applications, between 2019 and 2021, were from individuals who identified as ‘White Irish,’ and of the appointments during that period, 89% were ‘White Irish’ and a further 6% were ‘White’ from any other background. 

He commented: “What does this limited data tell us? It tells us one thing: these public services roles are not reflective of the diverse communities that they serve. And this raises some concerns for the public service more broadly,” he said.  

Kevin said the Migrant Integration Strategy, adopted by the Government in 2017, included plans for proactive outreach measures to be taken by all public sector employers to increase the number of individuals from an immigrant background working within the public and civil service.

He added: “It also set out an aim to have a civil service which is reflective of Irish society, with 1% of staffing coming from ethnic minority backgrounds. According to the 2019 Progress Report, only 4% of applications came from migrant communities. 

“It’s imperative that the Government not only sets out to monitor its progress but publishes this information as an act of accountability and transparency,” he said.

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