Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act 2003

Staff of Commission.

12.—(1) A person who, immediately before the establishment day was a member of the staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas or the joint staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas, shall be transferred to and become a member of the staff of the Commission on that day, on terms and conditions not less favourable to him or her than those applicable to that person immediately before the transfer.

(2) Every person referred to in subsection (1) who was a civil servant before the establishment day continues to be a civil servant after that day.

(3) The Commission shall—

(a) appoint persons to be members of the joint staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas, and be the employer of those persons,

(b) determine, subject to paragraph (c), staff requirements,

(c) obtain the consent of the Minister to appoint staff at or above the grade of or equivalent to Principal (Higher),

(d) appoint persons to scheduled occupations within the meaning of section 2(1) of the Civil Service Commissioners Act 1956 , and be the employer of those persons,

(e) where it considers it appropriate to do so, recommend to the Government the dismissal of an established civil servant employed in the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas,

(f) dismiss a civil servant employed in the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas who is not an established civil servant or who is in a probationary position within the meaning of section 7 of the Civil Service Regulation Act 1956 , as amended by section 7 of the Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Act 1958 .

(4) (a) References in any enactment to members of the staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas shall be construed as references—

(i) to members of the staff of the Commission who immediately before the establishment day were members of the staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas, and

(ii) to persons appointed after that day to be members of the staff of the Commission and who occupy positions corresponding to positions before the establishment day on the staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas.

(b) References in any enactment to members of the joint staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas shall be construed as references—

(i) to members of the staff of the Commission who immediately before the establishment day were members of the joint staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas, and

(ii) to persons appointed after that day to be members of the staff of the Commission and who occupy positions corresponding to positions before the establishment day on the joint staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas.