Clerk of Dáil Éireann and Secretary General of the Houses of the Oireachtas Service - The Guardian : Job Details

Job summary

Clerk of Dáil Éireann - The Clerk of Dáil Éireann ("the Clerk") is the chief procedural advisor to the Ceann Comhairle in their role as Chairperson of Dail Eireann. The Clerk has a number of statutory functions which recognise the impartial and non-political nature of their office, including functions under the Electoral Acts and the Ethics in Public Office Acts.

Secretary General of the Service - The responsibilities of the Secretary General are set out in the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Acts. As Chief Executive of the Commission, the Secretary General is accountable to the Commission in carrying out the functions and duties assigned to them under the Commission Acts and for ensuring economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the use of Commission resources.

Main Duties of the job

The duties of the post holder include the following:

• Chief procedural advisor, advising on matters of order and Dáil procedure
• Ex-officio member of the Standards in Public Office and Electoral Commissions
• Chairing the Management Board and operating as Accounting Officer
• Chief Executive of the Commission
• Provision of Strategic Leadership and Change management
• Delivery and Resource Management

The Successful candidate will:

• Have a proven track record as a strategic leader and senior manager in a large and complex organisation;
• Demonstrate the ability to develop the vision and set the strategic direction for the Service;
• Demonstrate sound judgement and the ability to work effectively with integrity within the political process, being politically impartial at all times;
• Demonstrate considerable familiarity with, and an understanding of, the parliamentary system, the principles underpinning the key objectives of the Commission, and the role of the Service in this context;
• Have an in-depth knowledge (or demonstrate that they would have the ability to quickly acquire same) of the constitutional provisions, Standing Orders, rules and parliamentary procedures and practices governing the work of the Houses and of their Committees; and the interactions between Parliament and the Executive;

Information about the Organisation

The Houses of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament) consists of two Houses, Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann. The Houses of the Oireachtas 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 parliamentary administration) in accordance with the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Acts 2023-2024.

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 our website via the button below.

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 3pm on Thursday 14th August 2025.

If you feel you would benefit from a confidential discussion about this opportunity, please contact Aoife Lyons at [email protected]

We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and encourage applications under all nine grounds of the Employment Equality Act.