The private secretary to Minister of State Ivor Callely has resigned after a dispute over his request that she attend an event that she saw as political.
The Department of Transport confirmed yesterday that Mr Callely's private secretary - a civil servant - resigned last Friday but refused to explain the circumstances. "It is an internal, human resource matter," a spokeswoman said.
Mr Callely also declined to comment last night on the allegations that the civil servant resigned because he had asked her to attend a political event. Reliable sources confirmed, however, that the circumstances of her resignation did indeed relate to Mr Callely's request that she attend an event, and that the Department of Transport had backed her contention that she was not obliged to attend.
The 2004 Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour states that all civil servants above clerical level are totally debarred from engaging in any form of political activity. The department confirmed that the position is above clerical level.
The woman is now working in a different section of the Department of Transport.
A spokesman for the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants said yesterday that they support the view that civil servants above clerical level should not take part in politics at any level. According to the civil service code, restrictions have been imposed on political activity to ensure public confidence in the political impartiality of civil servants.