Thousands of civil servants apply for new jobs through mobility plan

Roll-out: Head of Fórsa Derek Mullen said there is huge interest. Picture: Dylan Vaughan

Anne-Marie Walsh

More than 3,400 civil servants have applied for new jobs under a 'mobility scheme' that means they can avoid long commutes and sky-high housing costs.

The scheme, which opened last September, gives State employees the opportunity to move to other parts of the country to work.

They include civilian staff in Garda stations and clerical and executive officers working in welfare, Revenue, agriculture and other government offices.

Of the total who have applied, 855 are clerical and executive officers based in Dublin who wanted to work outside the capital.

They represent 12pc of the total 7,000 in these grades who are eligible to apply for the scheme.

The scheme is due to be extended to allow the same civil service grades to move to other parts of the capital by June.

This could facilitate moves from the city centre to the suburbs, for example.

And it could be extended to other parts of the public service, according to a spokesperson at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

However, just 100 applicants have actually moved to new workplaces since the scheme was introduced. The department said more than half of the offers made were declined or cancelled by applicants when they were asked if they were still interested.

An interactive 'mobility map' on the department's website carves the country into 46 zones and allows civil servants to search for vacancies.

It gives information on the working conditions in various offices, including the availability of flexitime, a shorter working year, work sharing, wheelchair-friendliness, Irish language requirements, and the total number of positions per grade in the building.

Head of Fórsa's civil service division Derek Mullen, who is involved in talks on the roll-out of the scheme, said it had attracted huge interest, mainly for commuting and career reasons.

But he said avoiding high rental and mortgage costs may well be a factor for newly appointed staff working in Dublin.

The scheme currently applies to staff in lower-paid roles in the civil service, but will eventually be extended to higher grades.

"It is a new departure and is part of a civil service renewal commitment to provide mobility at various grades through the civil service," said Mr Mullen.

"I might work in the Department of Agriculture in Castlebar but might like to move to a Revenue Commissioners office because I have an accounting qualification."