600 apply for 12 Leitrim Council outdoor jobs

600 people applied for jobs under the recent recruitment drive by Leitrim County Council for permanent outdoor staff.

400 people turned out for the aptitude tests in The Landmark Hotel and 50 people have been shortlisted to form a panel.
The council are recruiting approx 12 new permanent staff for outdoor work. Interviews are expected to be conducted in January with staff to be employed shortly afterwards.

Senior Engineer Shay O'Connor informed Ballinamore Municipal District meeting this week that there are about three retirements due next year and the council are recruiting 3-4 new outdoor staff for each of the districts.
Cllr Brendan Barry queried about the recruitment and asked that staff be put out to work earlier in 2019 to clean watertables and keep water off our roads.

He said this preemptive work “would easily cover the costs and save money on reduced maintenance and repairs.”
Cllr Paddy O'Rourke asked did previous experience from temporary staff help them form the 50 person panel.
Mr O'Connor said it did not, the top 50 from the aptitude test were called for interview.
He said previous experience may help those interviews.

He also explained that it will be local authority members from different counties that will make up the interview board.
Cllr O'Rourke asked did such a recruitment drive give “false expectations” saying hundreds of people applied for only a small handful of jobs. The Carrigallen Councillor said he knows people who flew home from England to sit the tests.
He acknowledged that while the salary may not be the most competitive “the security of job and public sector benefits appeal to people.”

Director of Services Vincent Dwyer said “there were no false expectations, people were aware there are only a few jobs available” he also said this process is the fairest.
The panel is expected to last for 1-2 years. Mr O'Connor said the extra staff is a 20% increase in outdoor staff.
Cllr Brendan Barry welcomed the news of extra staff and said he looks forward to seeing them out on the roads.

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