The Head of the NI Civil Service and NI Audit Office have been urged to investigate the recruitment of civil service agency staff to ensure the system is not being abused.
The Finance Minister released figures to DUP MLA Michelle McIlveen showing that the number of agency staff employed by the NICS has jumped from 2,571 in 2020 to 4,015 in 2024.
That is a 56% increase over the course of five years.
Ms McIlveen said the figures provided show there has been a “significant spike” in the recruitment of agency workers for 2024.
Further questions need to be asked, she said, exploring the reasons for the rise and whether they were engaged this way as a result of short-term contracts, sickness, maternity or poor employment planning.
Michelle McIlveen
The Strangford MLA added: “However, there is a risk that the use of agency staff may circumvent open recruitment processes when these posts become permanent so any increase at such a scale is shocking.
“I had asked questions regarding agency staff ultimately filling permanent roles but the Minister has advised that this information cannot be identified from the current records but this issue is a concern for existing staff who have raised this with me.”
She added: “Agency staff can be handpicked at the initial stage and then potentially favoured when the permanent recruitment process is carried out as they are in situ. It may result in less capable staff being retained and a restriction in the pool of talent being accessed.
“There is a need to ensure that processes are open and fair. The failure to keep records of this means that this is not an issue being monitored and potential abuses are not being identified.
“It is perhaps something that the Northern Ireland Audit Office and the Head of the Civil Service need to look at urgently.”
In a statement, a Department of Finance spokesperson said: “All appointments are made based on merit and are free from personal or political partiality.
“Like many large organisations, the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) uses agency workers to carry out work which for a variety of reasons cannot be completed by substantive NICS staff.
“The use of agency workers is a cost-effective and necessary way to manage some time-bound and project aspects of temporary work and to provide maximum flexibility to support the business needs of the Civil Service and its departments.
“In recent years agency workers have filled a variety of roles including servicing a contract with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and supporting temporary pressures arising from EU Exit.
“Agency workers are entitled to a parity of pay and annual leave as part of the Agency Worker contract.”