Job Title: Assistant Parliamentary Counsel Grade II, Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government
Employer: Office of the Attorney General
Location: Dublin
Closing Date: 3pm, Thursday, 26 March 2026
Salary: Starting at €82,337
About the Employer
The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government is a constituent part of the Office of the Attorney General and is located in Government Buildings, Merrion Street, Dublin 2.
The mission of the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government (OPC) is to draft Bills on behalf of the Government, and statutory instruments on behalf of the Government and Ministers of the Government, to a consistently high standard.
The functions of the OPC are to:
Draft Government Bills (including Bills containing proposals to amend the Constitution);
Draft Government amendments to Bills (including Private Members' Bills) during the Parliamentary process;
Draft, or settle the drafts of, statutory instruments to be made by Government;
Draft, or settle the drafts of, statutory instruments to be made by a Minister of the Government, a Minister of State or the Revenue Commissioners;
Draft, or settle the drafts of, statutory instruments to be made by a person (other than a Minister of the Government) or body authorised in that behalf by statute, if requested to do so by a Minister of the Government or a Minister of State where the Minister has the statutory function of approving the draft concerned;
Provide information to the Government Legislation Committee on the progress of the drafting of Bills;
Provide information to the Departments of an Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs and Trade on the progress of the drafting of European Union (EU) statutory instruments;
Provide drafting advice to client Departments on achieving their aims in proposed legislation;
Collaborate with Advisory Counsel in the Office of the Attorney General during the drafting process;
Liaise with client Departments during the drafting process.
The OPC is organised into groups, each having responsibility for providing drafting services to a specific number of Government Departments. Each Group is managed by a Parliamentary Counsel who allocates and monitors work within the Group. Each Group Manager works closely with new entrants and coordinates and monitors their training. The Chief Parliamentary Counsel is the professional head of the OPC and is responsible for the professional administration of the Office and the overall monitoring of work within the Office.
About the Role
Assistant Parliamentary Counsel Grade II will report to a Parliamentary Counsel (equivalent to Assistant Secretary grade or above) and in the course of their work will have frequent contact with officials in Government Departments and with Advisory Counsel in the Office of the Attorney General.
Assistant Parliamentary Counsel Grade II will be part of a specialised team of lawyers who:
Draft Government Bills, including Bills to amend the Constitution, and amendments to Bills (including Private Members' Bills);
Draft Government Orders and some statutory instruments made by Ministers of the Government, including instruments made for the purposes of compliance with the State's European Union obligations.
This will involve:
Receiving and analysing instructions to draft from Government Departments;
Discussing and clarifying those instructions with the Departmental officials concerned;
Discussing them with Advisory Counsel in the Office of the Attorney General, and with the Attorney General, and identifying legal issues arising and obtaining legal advice thereon;
Drafting legislation to give effect to those instructions;
Providing drafting advice and guidance to Departments with regard to proposed legislation;
Reporting progress on drafting work undertaken.
The above is a general guide to the key duties and responsibilities of the role and is not an exhaustive description. Other duties and responsibilities appropriate to the role may be assigned by the relevant Parliamentary Counsel manager from time to time.
Parliamentary Counsel are supported by clerical staff and a Legislative Editing unit and other services such as Library, Finance, ICT and Human Resources. Legal Researchers are also available to assist Parliamentary Counsel in carrying out research in relation to legal issues arising on drafting files.
A full list of essential requirements is available in the Information Booklet.
The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 3pm on Thursday, 26 March 2026.
We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and encourage applications under all nine grounds of the Employment Equality Act.
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