Fórsa official Andy Pike says there are signs that civil service management is willing to show some flexibility on salary progression in jobs where they are having trouble attracting staff.

He spoke to the Bulletin after a recent Public Appointments Service advert for Met Éireann staff said three additional increments could become available to meteorologists who had good language skills and were able to “discharge the highest duties” of the grade. An assessment of this would be made after three years’ service, according to the advert.

Andy said this could enable suitably qualified meteorologists to reach the top of their pay scale in just seven years.

Fórsa had previously said that relatively low starting salaries for certain grades have made recruitment a problem in many parts of the civil service. The union has called for management to be given the flexibility to pay staff above the usual entry rates, where necessary, in order to attract suitably qualified staff.

State bodies are also struggling to recruit cleaners, solicitors, radio officers, agricultural officers, valuers, Oireachtas researchers, translation staff, SENOs, and others.