Formerly known as the Association of Assistant Secretaries & Higher Grades, the Association is not a Trade Union but rather a non-unionised staff representative association, recognised by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform as representing the interests of its members, drawn from the rank of Assistant Secretary, Assistant Secretary equivalent and higher, in the Irish civil service.
The Association exists to promote the interests of its members on terms and conditions of employment, recruitment, remuneration and pensions. It also aims to provide a forum for its members to exchange information and to discuss issues of common interest or concern, and to develop a collective voice on such issues. These issues include Oireachtas engagement and promoting and enhancing innovation, leadership and reform in the Irish Public Service.
The Association provides opportunities for mutual support, for sharing of experience among its membership and to collectively and proactively advance the key interests of our members.
The Association’s primary focus is on securing the terms and conditions of employment and remuneration of its members. It is critical that the views of Assistant Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries and equivalent grades are heard and their interests upheld when issues concerning pay, pensions and other terms and conditions of employment are determined.
It is vital that the Association is representative of both newly and recently appointed senior civil servants. Effective representation can only be achieved if the Association has a strong presence across the Civil Service as a whole. The wider the membership, the stronger the voice.
The members’ section of the Association’s website (which can be found here) includes documents on pay, pensions and other terms and conditions of employment that will be of interest. These documents are accessible to all members of the Association.
Further information on these matters can be found here.
To join the Association as a full or Associate Member, please go to our Membership page.