Assistant Secretary, Parliamentary Services

The Houses of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament) consists of two Houses, Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann. The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (“the Commission”) is the governing body which oversees the provision of advice and services to the Houses, their Committees and their Members by the Houses of the Oireachtas Service. The person appointed will be a member of the Management Board and will contribute to the achievement of the Service’s overall objectives as set out in its strategic plan. The person appointed will be expected to be a leader and advocate in promoting improvements in service delivery including through the adoption of technology.

Main Duties of the Job

• The appointee will lead the Parliamentary Service Division as Clerk-Assistant of Dáil Éireann and will provide operational support for the sittings of Dáil Éireann and also provide support services for the legislative, financial, and policy oversight work of 30 Oireachtas Committees.
• The Clerk-Assistant will be responsible for providing advice on all aspects of parliamentary procedure arising from the proceedings of Dáil Éireann and Oireachtas Committees.
• They will also be responsible for parliamentary procedural knowledge and skills development and succession planning.
• They will lead strategy and performance improvements, ensure effective management of resources and act as the senior business owner for the delivery and maintenance of business-critical systems.
• The appointee will report to the Clerk of the Dáil and Secretary General and will have eight direct reports at Principal Officer level across House and Chamber Services, Committee Secretariat, Debates Office and Rannóg an Aistriúcháin.

Essential Requirements

• A proven track record of achievement as a senior leader in a large, complex organisation, including leading change and delivering performance improvements in business-critical operational areas.
• Considerable familiarity with, and an understanding of, the parliamentary system, the principles underpinning the objectives of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission, and the role of the Service in this context.
• In-depth knowledge (or the ability to quickly acquire same) of the constitutional provisions, rules and parliamentary procedures governing the work of the Houses and their Committees, and the interaction between Parliament and the Executive.
• Proven ability to manage, motivate, develop and lead diverse teams which will include professional, technical and administrative disciplines in order to deliver a quality value for money service within tight deadlines.
• The ability to lead and champion the provision of bilingual services to the Houses, members and the public.

Information about the Organisation

The mission of the Service is to support our parliamentary democracy. The Houses of the Oireachtas Service comprises over 750 staff and provides services to over 500 political staff and 234 Members. The Service is the independent civil service agency which supports the running of both Houses and provides administrative services on behalf of the Commission as the governing authority. The Service is the parliamentary administration body providing advice and support to the Commission, the Houses of the Oireachtas and their Committees, and to the Members of the Houses.

Selection Process Details

This is a Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) position. Further information on this significant opportunity including details on how to apply, is available on www.publicjobs.ie. The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 3pm on Thursday 29th January 2026. If you feel you would benefit from a confidential discussion about this opportunity, please contact Ms Aoife Lyons at aoife.lyons@publicjobs.ie. For more information and to apply, visit: https://bit.ly/PMJ_Ad_CADE. We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and encourage applications under all nine grounds of the Employment Equality Act.