Approximately 150 Fórsa members at the Road Safety Authority (RSA) are to be included in the Public Appointments Service’s (PAS) emergency redeployment list. The PAS list has been developed to temporarily reassign civil and public service staff to areas of greater need during the Covid-19 crisis, and union members in non-commercial state agencies are covered by the same arrangements for civil and public service staff.

The process aims to identify those staff that are currently ‘non-critical’ to service delivery. With driving tests currently suspended a number of grades, including driver testers, administrators and supervisors, are among those set for temporary reassignment. Discussions are near completion to find a way to carry out emergency driving tests for medical staff and HGV drivers.

In a memo this week to the union’s divisional executive committee, head of division Angela Kirk explained: “Where possible, working from home arrangements are being implemented in the state agencies. The Institute of Public Administration concluded an agreement with the union which is in place since 24th March. Some members from Fáilte Ireland, the National Museum of Ireland the National Library are being temporarily redeployed to Social Protection under the current measures, and we expect more staff from the cultural institutions will be reassigned over the coming days.”