Fórsa and other unions on the Civil Service Staff Panel have advised senior management that the Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill, if enacted, would impose significantly adverse terms and conditions of employment on civil service members. 

Unions have also advised that they cannot accept the use of legislation to unilaterally alter the terms and conditions of members, warning that the Civil Service ‘cannot rely on compliance’ if the Bill is enacted. 

In a letter issued last week (14th July) to the secretary general of the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, unions objected to the imposition of new dismissal provisions, and to the attempt to bypass normal industrial relations through legislation. 

The Bill is part of the Government's legislative programme for Spring 2025 and seeks to delegate dismissal powers currently held by departmental secretaries general to lower-grade civil servants. Fórsa and the staff panel have said this represents a serious departure from established procedures. 

The letter, signed by staff side secretary Eugene Dunne (Fórsa), recalled that the last major legislative intervention in civil service employment conditions came during the financial emergency through the FEMPI legislation: “There is no justification in normal circumstances for altering terms and conditions through legislation,” he said. 

Fórsa deputy general secretary Éamonn Donnelly said the union was resolute in opposing the Bill: “We are making it absolutely clear that we will not accept unilateral legislative change to core employment conditions.  

“Dismissal is a profound matter that must be handled with the highest level of oversight and accountability. We will use all industrial relations and political channels available to challenge this,” he said. 

Fórsa has consistently opposed the Bill since it first appeared in 2018. A petition signed by more than 3,000 members in 2023 formed part of an earlier campaign to resist its passage. 

The union will continue to engage with politicians and civil service management to defend fair procedures and ensure that any changes, if pursued, must be subject to negotiation and agreement. 

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