Dear Department of Finance and Personnel (Northern Ireland),

Can you please advise what, if any, consideration is given to a candidate's geographical location when making an offer of employment from a merit list?

In relation to the recent EOII competition, can you please provide figures to show the number of posts in each council boundary or electoral area and the number of successful applicants in each geographical area?

Can you please provide figures for the number of positions offered as part of the recent EOII recruitment competition which were turned down?

Where possible can you break down these figures by the reason the role was rejected? E.g. Unsuitable location?

If, you are unable to provide this information, can you please explain why you do not ask applicants who refuse roles for their reasons? There may be a more efficient way of offering positions, thus saving the public purse.

Can you explain why no consideration is given to a candidate's geographical preference when making a job offer? Surely, this leads to candidates who have placed on a merit list being offered positions which they are unable to fulfil and these positions, in turn, being offered to candidates who have performed less well in the competition.

Yours faithfully,

E Farrell

Dear Torrens, Ann,

Thank you for acknowledging my request.

Yours sincerely,

E Farrell