Organisation information
Working with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
Over 3000 staff work for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in locations across the country and in cities across the globe. Working with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) can provide you with a rewarding and fulfilling career at the forefront of agri-food, forestry and marine sectors.
The Department embraces a diverse workforce and recognises the value that staff of different backgrounds, perspectives and skills sets contribute to the organisation. We promote diversity, equality and inclusion as core values and recognise these attributes as central to the success of the Department in achieving its professional objectives. Respect is a core value which must be reflected at all levels in the organisation. We provide equal opportunities across our workforce and encourage a dynamic working environment.
Department staff work in a wide variety of areas. There are over 60 different roles in the Department, ranging from general administrative and service roles to specialist professional positions, which include agricultural inspectorate, agricultural officers and engineering, financial, IT, laboratory, legal and veterinary roles amongst others.
Most roles are office-based and facilitated by sophisticated IT systems. The Department has a state-of-the-art laboratory facility at Backweston in Celbridge, Co.Kildare and a number of smaller laboratories at locations around the country, where our laboratory services staff are based. Other roles involving our inspectorate, technical and veterinary staff involve inspections at meat-processing plants or incorporate outdoor work, for example farm inspections and Border Inspection Posts checks.
What we do
Why:
Where:
Staff operating in policy areas and key support services are found in key offices and regional offices across the nationwide. On a global scale, the Department is represented by agriculture attaché staff in cities across the globe, including Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Berlin, Brussels, Geneva, Mexico City, Rome, Seoul, Tokyo and Washington DC.
How:
Who we employ:
Most of our Policy and Key Support Services staff enter the Civil Service via recruitment campaigns run by the Public Appointments Service (PAS). Promotion opportunities arise through a mixture of internal, interdepartmental and PAS competitions.
Service Officer - Entry Grade
Clerical Officer - Entry Grade
Executive Officer - Entry/Graduate Entry Grade
Higher Executive Officer
Administrative Officer - Graduate Entry Grade
Assistant Principal Officer - Senior Management Entry Grade
Principal Officer
Assistant Secretary General
Secretary General
Vacancies for specialist and professional roles in areas such as Economics, Engineering, Finance, IT/ICT, Legal Services, etc., are advertised occasionally in accordance with the Department’s business needs. To register for job alerts across the public sector, including the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, please register with the Public Appointments Service .
What We Do
The work of the Agricultural Inspectorate within the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) is varied. On any given day you will find Agricultural Inspectors:
Where
There are over 200 DAFM Agricultural Inspectorate personnel working throughout the country.
Why
Serving the Government and people of Ireland by leading, developing and regulating the agri-food sector, protecting public health, and optimising social, economic and environmental benefits.
How
Who
The Agricultural Inspectorate comprise honours science graduates with a range of primary qualifications which include Agriculture Science, Dairy Science, Chemistry, Toxicology, Ecotoxicology, Molecular Biology, Engineering, Food Science, and more. Almost 50% also have post-graduate Masters Degrees or PhD qualifications.
The grading structure of the Agricultural Inspectorate comprises of a Chief Inspector, a Deputy Chief Inspector, Senior Inspectors, Agricultural Inspectors and Assistant Agricultural Inspectors. The Forest Service is comprised of a Senior Inspector, Forestry Inspector Grade 1, Forestry Inspector Grade 2 and Forestry Inspector Grade 3. Inspectorate grades join the Department at Assistant Agricultural Inspector or Forestry Inspector Grade 3 level and progress their careers through competing in internal competitions. Opportunities for career development within the civil service are also available. DAFM has about 60 Divisions and 13 Heads of Divisions are Senior Inspectors
Feedstuffs, fertilisers and grain marketing inspections.
Why
Where
Nationwide – Technical Agricultural Officers work in various locations across the Department and may be head quartered in Regional offices or Meat factories.
How
Inspect, Monitor and sample on farm and at food business operator premises.
Who
Technical Agricultural Officers are required to have a third level qualification in agriculture-related studies to National Certificate level or equivalent.
Technical grades join the Department at Technical Agricultural Officer level, and progress their careers through competing in internal and PAS competitions for promotion as follows:
Mission Statement:
Scientific Excellence - Safeguarding and Enhancing Public, Animal and Plant Health and our Environment.
What we do:
DAFM laboratories performs a wide range of regulatory, diagnostic and research testing across the range of disciplines; Veterinary, Agricultural, Food and Plant Science.
Why:
Location:
DAFM laboratories are based on a large state of the art complex in Backweston, Celbridge, Co. Kildare. In addition, there are smaller regional laboratories in Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny, Athlone and Sligo.
How:
Specialist testing in a wide range of areas including:-
Research and Development relevant to work of DAFM laboratories.
Who we employ:
DAFM employs a range of scientific grades. All scientific grades have a promotional pathway.
| Entry Level Grade | Minimum Qualification |
| Laboratory Analyst (Biology) | Level 7 in Bioscience, Molecular Biology or Microbiology |
| Laboratory Analyst (Chemistry) | Level 7 in Chemistry |
| Chemist | Level 8 in Chemistry |
| Assistant Agriculture Inspector | Level 8 in Agricultural Science or Food Science |
| Veterinary Research Officer | Degree in Veterinary Medicine eligible for VCI registration |
| Seed Analyst | Leaving Certificate |
In addition, DAFM employ a range of support grades in the laboratories.
What we do
Our Veterinary staff contribute to the Department endeavours by:
Why
Location
Our veterinary staff are located nationwide and operate both in the office and on the ground supporting the Department in
Veterinary Services
Our veterinary services can be broadly divided into three divisions:
1. Animal Health & Welfare Division
Colleagues in the Animal Health & Welfare Division provide expert advice to influence national and international legislation, and policies, and liaise directly with producers and operators involved in the producing or processing food.
2. Veterinary Public Health Inspection Service
Our Veterinary Public Health Inspection Service implement and oversee production and processing controls from the time animals or products leave the farm to ensure the integrity of the food chain. Department veterinarians assess whether producers and operators involved in producing or processing food are implementing the law correctly, and make recommendation regarding best practice.
3. Veterinary Laboratory Services
Our Veterinary Laboratories form part of the wider Laboratory services of the Department, and support our veterinary services by carrying out testing and building on diseases intelligence nationwide.
Structure
Role in Veterinary include:
As an employee of the Department, you will have a variety of responsibilities. These will depend on your role and may include, but are not limited to:
Our staff must to be able to work effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders including members of the public, the Minister, other civil service departments, the wider public sector, and voluntary and private sectors.
In addition to our network of offices and key locations nationwide, the Department also has a presence in key locations across the globe in association with the embassy network attached to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Opportunities regularly arise for secondment to other Government Departments and agencies and to the EU Institutions, in accordance with cross-Departmental and EU administrative business needs.
The Department is committed to the ongoing training and development of our staff to ensure that we have relevant skills sets to help us achieve our business objectives and that our staff are supported to pursue self-development opportunities. Each member of staff completes yearly Learning and Development Plan with their manager in order to select training courses which will help them achieve their work goals.
The Department supports, through its Funding of Fees scheme, formal educational courses that lead to educational or professional qualifications which are relevant to the business needs of the Department. These courses are undertaken in a staff member’s own time, however the Department will support participants through the provision of paid study and exam leave.
Civil servants employed by the Department are entitled to a tiered pay scale where annual increments are awarded, subject to satisfactory performance and compliance with Sick Leave guidelines. Your pay scale is dependent on your grade and associated responsibilities.
Department employees will be offered the appropriate superannuation (pension) terms and conditions as prevailing in the Civil Service at the time of being offered an appointment. A new staff member who has never worked in the Public Service will be offered appointment based on membership of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme .
Pay during absences will apply on a pro-rata basis, in accordance with the provisions of prevailing sick leave circulars.
A Paid Sick Leave Scheme provides for payment to staff during periods of absence from work due to illness or injury:
In recognition of the fact that, sometimes, a longer period of sick leave can be required to address a critical illness or serious physical injury, there are further Critical Illness Provisions which may apply in exceptional circumstances.
Flexible working hours may be available to you in certain offices and regions, depending on your grade, the requirements of the role and business needs of your team.
The purpose of the Shorter Working Year scheme is to permit you to balance working life with personal commitments. Under the terms of the scheme, special leave without pay is available in periods of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 13 consecutive weeks. The grant of leave under this scheme is subject to the requirements of your role and the business needs of your team.
A career break may be granted to you for family reasons, other domestic reasons, travel, educational purposes, taking up employment in the private sector or becoming self-employed. Career breaks may be granted for a period of at least 6 months up to a maximum of 3 years for taking up employment in the private sector or becoming self-employed, and a maximum of 5 years for other reasons. Eligible staff may, in general, avail of three career breaks during their career in the Civil Service subject to a maximum of 12 years in total.
Maternity Leave is a statutory entitlement which ensures that staff are entitled to 26 weeks maternity leave with the option of with 16 weeks additional unpaid maternity leave. Staff are also entitled to time off to attend ante-natal appointments as required. New parents (other than the mother of the child) are entitled to 2 weeks paternity leave from employment or self-employment following birth or adoption of a child. A staff member who is adopts a child is entitled to 24 weeks consecutive Adoptive Leave followed by up to 16 weeks consecutive unpaid Adoptive Leave.
Parental Leave is a statutory entitlement, which allows the parent or guardian of a child, born or adopted, to take unpaid leave for 22 working weeks (as of 01/09/2019) and 26 working weeks (as of 01/09/2020) for the purpose of childcare.
Department staff are entitled to apply for the Travel Pass Scheme and Cycle to Work Scheme and Taxsaver Commuter Ticket Scheme .
Recruitment for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is facilitated by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) . All vacancies in the Department are advertised on the PAS website: www.publicjobs.ie .
Register with the Public Appointments Service and sign up for job alerts indicating your areas of interest to receive email updates about new competitions.
For general information about general and specialist careers in the Department, you can contact us directly*: