Referencer

About Fingal County Council

Fingal is a highly attractive place to live, work, visit and do business. It comprises a geographical area of 450 sq.km stretching from Balbriggan in the north, to Blanchardstown in the west and to Howth in the east. The area is defined by the diversity of its landscape and settlement patterns with rural, urban and suburban locations all rolled into one county. There is 88kms of coastline, three large protected estuaries and salt marsh habitats and 13 major beaches.

Fingal County Council is one of the county’s major local employers and currently employs approximately 1,600 staff. The Council is mandated to deliver a diverse range of functions and services which can be broadly described under the headings of the provision of physical and social infrastructure, housing, economic and tourism development, community development, recreation and amenity services and the management of the planning and environmental regulatory framework. The role of the County Council as provided for in law is to represent, lead and serve the communities of Fingal.

1. The Role

The Referencer is a specialist role at a management level position within Fingal County Council and is assigned specific responsibility for the administration and management of property and related management matters. The role sits within the Economic, Enterprise, Tourism & Cultural Development Department within the Property Services Section and is expected to provide services to all departments.

The Referencer will be expected to contribute to support the property services function in the resolution of property and title issues and property disputes including trespass, adverse possession, unauthorised rights of way and other unauthorised uses and deliver services to the highest standard across all departments. The Referencer is expected to carry out their duties with an understanding of the political context of local government and in such a manner that enhances public trust and confidence and ensures impartial decision making.

The duties of the Referencer include, but are not limited to:

Technical and legal Support:

• Legal and land title searches

• Working with Property Registration Authority (PRAI) and Registry of Deeds and engaging to perfect property title folios and land registry records

• Assist in Derelict Site procedures

• Support the property services function in the resolution of property and title issues and disputes including trespass, adverse possession, unauthorised rights of way, and other unauthorised uses

• Site inspections and reporting

• Knowledge of Building Control and Planning Enforcement processes

• Updating the Property Interest Register

• Preparing detailed reports for management and legal services

• Attendance at Oral hearings/ Public Inquiries/ Court as required

• Working with other Council Departments on various land issues

Operations/Administration

• Data Entry and verification of records

• Document management and control

• Use of various IT systems in use in the Property Services Section

• Administration – Various administrative office duties that may be assigned

• Dealing with members of the Public

• Assistance in Compulsory Purchase Order process

• Assistance in Land Acquisition/disposals

Any other duties that might be assigned from time to time.

These tasks which are indicative rather than exhaustive are carried out under general supervision. Persons appointed will be required to work in any location within the Fingal administrative area.

2. Qualifications and Requirements of the Post

CHARACTER Each candidate must be of good character.

HEALTH Candidates shall be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

EDUCATION, TRAINING, EXPERIENCE, ETC. Candidates must on the latest date of receipt of completed application forms have: (a) Have a good standard of general education; (b) Hold a current full driving licence, Class B, free from endorsements;

The ideal candidate shall:

• Have an aptitude for property, real estate, land management and related legal matters;

• Demonstrate sound practical knowledge of associated disciplines e.g. legal searches, land titles, leases, licences and contracts;

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of various forms of property ownership and title within the state and ability to understand title issues associated with registered and unregistered land and to research title issues;

• Demonstrate knowledge of Mapping and Map reading;

• Knowledge of GIS is desirable;

• Demonstrate knowledge of wayleaves;

• Have knowledge of Local Government and relevant property law;

• Have knowledge of Health and Safety in relation to site inspections e.g Safe Pass;

• Ability to work within multi-disciplined teams;

• Have strong office administration skills including IT, report writing and be well organised and practical;

• Be a team worker and good communicator;

• Demonstrate a high degree of initiative.

Candidates may be shortlisted based on the desirables listed above.

3. The Selection Process

Fingal County Council reserves the right to shortlist applications, if required. This is not to suggest that any candidate may be unsuitable or incapable of undertaking the duties of the post advertised, but rather that there may be candidates who have demonstrated that they are better qualified and/or have more relevant experience.

The number of persons to be invited, in these circumstances, to interview shall be determined by the local authority from time to time, having regard to the likely number of vacancies to be filled.

Step 1: Initial Screening In the first instance, all applications received by the latest date/time for receipt of completed applications are screened for eligibility in accordance with the qualifications for the post as set out in this booklet and declared by the Minister for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage under Section 160 of the Local Government Act 2001.

Step 2: Shortlisting Each candidate’s application may be assessed against pre-determined criteria based on the requirements of the position as outlined in this booklet. It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to provide a detailed and accurate account of their qualifications and/or experience in their application form and to outline the relevance of their experience in the examples provided.

Step 3: Interview Candidates who are successful in the shortlisting process will be invited to attend for interview(s). Fingal County Council will endeavor to give sufficient notice of the interview to shortlisted candidates. Thereafter, it is the responsibility of the candidate to make themselves available on the date/time selected. Candidates who do not attend for interview will be deemed to have withdrawn their application from the competition. Expenses incurred by candidates in attending for interview, will be at the candidates own expense.

An independent interview board will be established by the Senior Executive Officer, People Services, or other designated officer, to assess the candidates shortlisted for interview. The interview board will generally comprise of a Chairperson and two other members, who will have expert knowledge in the relevant field. The objective of the interview board is to identify candidates who best meet the objective criteria and competencies required for the position and to place them in order of merit.

Candidates who are successful in the interview will be qualified in order of merit for appointment to the post of Staff Officer and placed on a panel. It should be noted that placement on a panel may not necessarily lead to a job offer. The selection process is not concluded until such time as references have been sought and clearance checks, i.e. Garda vetting, occupational health, verification of education qualifications, etc, have been carried out to the satisfaction of the Council.

4. Benefits

At Fingal County Council, we value our employees and want to support them to develop their careers. We offer flexible working arrangements, competitive salaries and pension benefits, a positive work environment, training and development opportunities, a defined career path in a supportive and inclusive culture and the opportunity to make a difference, along with the following benefits:

➢ Standard working day is 9–5

➢ Excellent Work/Life balance with Family Friendly Schemes such as Shorter Working Year and Worksharing

➢ Opportunities for promotion and career development

➢ Employee Assistance and Wellbeing Programme

➢ Pension Scheme ➢ Blended Working available – up to 2 days per week

➢ Ongoing training and higher educational support

➢ Cycle to Work Scheme

5. Particulars of Employment

The employment is whole time, permanent and pensionable. Persons who become pensionable employees of a local authority who are liable to pay the Class A rate of PRSI contribution will be required in respect of their superannuation to contribute to the local authority at the rate of 1.5% of their pensionable remuneration plus 3.5% of net pensionable remuneration (i.e. pensionable remuneration less twice the annual rate of social insurance old age contributory pension payable at the maximum rate to a person with no adult dependent or qualified children).

Persons who become pensionable employees of a local authority who are liable to pay the Class D rate of PRSI contribution will be required in respect of their superannuation to contribute to the local authority at the rate of 5% of their pensionable remuneration.

All persons who become pensionable employees of a local authority will be required in respect of the local Government (Spouses and Children’s Contributory Pension) Scheme to contribute to the local authority at the rate of 1.5% of their pensionable remuneration in accordance with the terms of the Scheme.

PROBATION

(a) there shall be a period after such employment takes effect during which such persons shall hold such employment on probation, (b) such period shall be one year but the Chief Executive may at his or her discretion extend such period, (c) such persons shall cease to hold employment at the end of the period of probation unless during such period the Chief Executive has certified that the service of such persons is satisfactory.

SALARY

€51,722, €53,266, €54,844, €56,454, €58,076, €59,967 (LSI 1), €61,865 (LSI 2) per annum. Persons who are not serving local authority employees will be based on the minimum of the scale.

Holders of the post shall pay to the local authority any fees or other monies (other than their inclusive salary) payable to or received by them by virtue of their post or in respect of any services which they are required by or under any enactment to perform.

HEALTH

For the purpose of satisfying the requirement as to health it will be necessary for successful candidates, before they are employed, to undergo a medical examination by a qualified medical practitioner to be nominated by the Local Authority.

RETIREMENT AGE

The retirement age is 70 years.

RECRUITMENT

The local authority shall require a person to whom employment is offered to take up such employment within a period of not more than 6 weeks and if he or she fails to take up the employment within such period or such longer period as the local authority in its absolute discretion may determine, the local authority shall not employ the person.