Month: June 2025

Now Hiring – Clerical Officer (Grade III)

The Northern & Western Regional Assembly wishes to recruit for the position of Clerical Officer (Grade III) Permanent & Temporary.

The Post

The Purpose of the position of Clerical Officer is to provide clerical back-up for a unit within the Northern & Western Regional Assembly.

Assisting in the implementation of operational work activities and supporting Line Managers and colleagues;
Collating data/information for reporting;
Ensuring high quality customer service, responding to queries and providing information;
Use of Information Technology, e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook, Internet;
The skills to work as part of a team and the ability to work on own initiative;
To act, as required, for an employee of a higher grade;
General clerical, administrative and customer service duties;

The Person

Candidates should be able to demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills. They should have a satisfactory knowledge and experience of office organisation, along with the ability to work as part of a team and be methodical and organised in their work.

Salary

Salary is €30,811 – €47,945 (inclusive of Long Service Increment).

The Local Government Superannuation Scheme will apply to this post.

Location

The Assembly Headquarters is located at The Square, Ballaghaderreen, County Roscommon

Closing Date

The closing date for receipt of completed application forms is Thursday 24^th July 2025

Further Details

Application forms and further particulars can be downloaded from the links below or from email: ei.ar1752079244wn@rh1752079244

Download the Application form Clerical officer July 2025 and Clerical Officer G3 Information Booklet 2025.

The Northern & Western Regional Assembly is committed to a policy of equal opportunity.

Data2Sustain Webinar: An Introduction to AI for the Public Sector

More than 60 attendees from across the public sector expressed strong interest in how AI could help shape future public services

Over 60 public sector professionals recently gathered online for the successful Data2Sustain webinar, co-hosted by ERNACT and Atlantic Technological University (ATU). The engaging session focused on the responsible and effective use of artificial intelligence within the public sector, specifically highlighting the Irish Government’s new Guidelines for the Responsible Use of AI in the Public Service.

The webinar aimed to show how these guidelines can help to deliver better, more reliable public services. The large number of over 60 attendees showed a strong interest across the public sector in how AI will help shape future public services. This online meeting was also recorded, and the presentations and other materials will be sent to those who attended afterwards.

The initiative focuses on four key pillars, including providing practical guidelines and education through workshops to improve awareness and skills around emerging technologies. ERNACT along ATU plans to continue engaging with professionals to identify key priorities and offer tailored training on integrating AI into daily work.

Webinar highlights included:

Introduction to Data2Sustain EDIH – Mike Conroy introduced Data2Sustain EDIH, a European Digital Innovation Hub, which helps organisations across Ireland adopt digital technologies for innovation.
Responsible Use of AI in the Public Service: Guidelines & Examples – Paul Greaney from ATU discussed the Irish Government’s guidelines for responsible AI use in public services. He explained what AI is and how it’s being applied in areas like document analysis and chatbots. He emphasised AI’s limitations, such as generating incorrect information, and stressed the importance of human checking. Paul also warned against using free AI tools for sensitive data due to privacy risks.
Supporting Digital Transformation in the Public Sector – Jose Manuel San Emeterio from ERNACT opened the webinar, and he explained this was the first of several Data2Sustain EDIH training sessions designed to offer tailored AI support, highlighting also ERNACT’s commitment to public sector digital transformation.

Public sector professionals are encouraged to stay tuned for upcoming training and engagement opportunities as part of the Data2Sustain EDIH initiative.

If you missed the webinar, you can watch it back here: https://data2sustain.ie/ernact-and-atu-host-successful-webinar-on-responsible-ai-in-public-service/

€34m Research Ireland Hub to accelerate research commercialisation

Healthcare technology research hub in Northern & Western region will focus on chronic disease management
Transformative initiative is co-funded by the European Union & Irish Government

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James LawlessTD, announced the creation of a new ‘Accelerating Research to Commercialisation’ (ARC) Hub to fast-track the commercialisation of scientiﬁc research across Ireland.

The ARC Hub for HealthTech is being established in the Northern and Western Region by Research Ireland, withfunding of €34.3million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Government of Ireland.

Speaking at the announcement, Minister Lawless said: “The Research Ireland ARC Hub for HealthTech willhelp transform regional innovation and entrepreneurial training in the Northern and Western region andbeyond. Enhancing the existing academic-enterprise healthcare and technology ecosystems, the ARCHub will deliver a suite of impactful, on-the-ground supports, beneﬁtting everyone in the process –researchers, engineers, technologists, manufacturers, clinicians, physicians and, critically, patients. Theprovision and delivery of appropriate and effective healthcare is, by its very nature, time-sensitive. TheARC Hub for HealthTech will play an instrumental role in accelerating the commercialisation of researchand getting health solutions to those that need them, faster.”

Welcoming the announcement, Research Ireland’s Interim CEO, Celine Fitzgerald, commented: “The ResearchIreland ARC Hub Programme is spearheading regional development across the country. Following onfrom the joint launch of ARC Hubs for both Therapeutics and ICT in February, the ARC Hub for HealthTechopens up enormous opportunities in the immediate and longer terms for the Northern and Westernregion – its citizens and its healthcare, research and enterprise communities.”

The ARC Hub for HealthTech is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through theNorthern and Western Regional Programme 2021-2027, one of two ERDF programmes in Ireland. The ERDFaims to promote economic, social and territorial cohesion across all European regions.

Led by Prof. Garry Duffy of University of Galway, in collaboration with Atlantic Technological University and RCSIUniversity of Medicine and Health Sciences, the ARC Hub for HealthTech is focused on accelerating translationalresearch in chronic disease management, speciﬁcally in thematic areas such as Decision Support andIntervention planning, Smart Implants, Advanced Wearables, Novel Sensors, and Algorithms and Artiﬁcial Intelligence/Machine Learning models.

Speaking of the announcement, Prof. Garry Duffy, Director of the ARC Hub for HealthTech, stated: “We’re excitedto bring together regional and national expertise and connected health innovation through the ARC Hub forHealthTech, creating solutions that will transform how we manage chronic disease in our communities.”

Conall McGettigan, Director of the Northern and Western Regional Assembly, emphasised the transformativepotential of the ARC Hub, stating: “The ARC Hubs represent a groundbreaking initiative to help driveregional development by fast- tracking early-stage, cutting-edge research toward commercialisation. By aligning with Ireland’s smart specialisation strategy and encouraging entrepreneurial ideas within theresearch and innovation eco-system, the Hub will help transform innovative concepts into real economicand societal advancements for the Northern and Western Region.”

ESB networks Management present at NWRA June Assembly Meeting

NWRA Members welcome Cllr Mike Cubbard to the Assembly

On Friday, 20th June, during a meeting of the Northern and Western Regional Assembly held in the Galway City Council Chamber, Leas-Cathaoirleach Cllr Declan McDonnell, fellow NWRA elected members, and Director Conall McGettigan formally welcomed Cllr Mike Cubbard. Cllr Cubbard has been nominated to the Assembly by Galway City Council and has served as a councillor in Galway since 2014.

The June Assembly meeting also included two presentations – one from ESB networks and one from Justin Gleeson, Director of the All-Island Research Observatory (AIRO).

The presentation from ESB networks included details on the Network Resilience, Networks For Net Zero & Price Review and works on the development of the Regional Network. Members praised ESB Networks for their response and efforts during Storm Éowyn.

Mary-Kehoe, ESB Networks, presentation to NWRA elected members at the June Assembly.

Justin Gleeson provided a demo on how the Councillors could use the Regional Development Monitor (RDM) to generate rich data and statistics at a local, regional or national level and see how the data compares to other parts of the country. The Regional Development Monitor (RDM) is a collaborative project between the three Regional Assemblies in Ireland, AIRO at Maynooth University and spatial infrastructure partners the Tailte Éireann via the GeoHive platform.

Justin Gleeson from AIRO, provides a demo of the Regional Development Monitor

RuralProof

Empowering European Regions through Policy Transformation: A Paradigm Shift in Territorial Development

Now Hiring – First Level Controller (Grade V)

The Northern & Western Regional Assembly wishes to recruit a full-time permanent First Level Controller (Grade V) for Interreg funded programmes/projects within the EU Programmes Division.

The Post

Reporting to the Auditor duties will include:

Processing and appraising expenditure claims by ETC projects;
Carrying out verification checks on declared expenditure, including on the spot checks;
Dealing with enquiries from approved projects and project partners and
Assisting the Auditor and other senior officers.

The Person

Candidates should be well educated, with excellent interpersonal and communication skills and an ability to deal with people across a range of operations. The successful candidate must have a relevant accounting/finance qualification and /or at least two years relevant experience in the area of finance/audit and financial procedures. A good standard of experience in office organisation is also desirable. Candidates should have satisfactory knowledge of public service organisation in Ireland and a practical understanding of economic, social and physical development issues at EU, national and regional level. Knowledge and experience in EU-funded programmes, preferably on Structural Funds and / or cross-border, transnational or inter-regional co-operation is desirable, as is knowledge and experience of financial management.

Salary

Salary is €51,510 to €61,252 p.a. (inclusive of Long Service Increment).

The Local Government Superannuation Scheme will apply to this post.

Location

The Assembly Headquarters is located at The Square, Ballaghaderreen, County Roscommon

Closing Date

The closing date for receipt of completed application forms is Thursday 17^th July 2025

Further Details

Application forms and further particulars can be downloaded from the website www.nwra.ie or from email: ei.ar1752079244wn@rh1752079244

Download the Application Form and Information Booklet.

The Northern & Western Regional Assembly is committed to a policy of equal opportunity

NWRA

NWRA Present Briefing Report on 33 Infrastructure Projects to Oireachtas members

SUP4SUD runs its first workshop

First project workshop kicks off

The Interreg Europe funded SUP4SUD Project enhances sustainable urban planning strategies

Project partners meet to discuss Stakeholder group and the project Baseline study

The Northern and Western Regional Assembly are excited to be part of a European consortium with a broad representation of public bodies and agencies that will collaboratively explore new approaches to strategic integration of sustainable development into urban planning. SUP4SUD is a project funded by Interreg Europe EU that focuses on integrating social and environmental sustainability into urban strategic planning across European cities. The aim is to support local actors to build the capacity for comprehensive approaches in urban planning building on the 2030 Agenda and the New European Bauhaus principles.

The 4-year project commenced in May 2025 and has already seen the partners come together at an online kick meeting followed by this first workshop on the 10th June to address the project Stakeholder Groups, their role and tasks, as well as the first deliverable: the Baseline study.

During the first workshop the Lead Partners’ Project Coordinator from the Central Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency (KDRIÜ) broke down the differences between a Network, Audience and a Community and elaborated on how best to engage the stakeholder groups with different approaches in mind with a view to tapping into the innate motivation of different groups. Several strategic and behavioural models were presented and interactive tools for engagement were suggested such as the OPERA model and the INTERLACE Stakeholder Engagement Strategy, as well as the URBACT portfolio on engagement.

The project partners from the Pablo de Olavide University (UPO) will design and carry out the Baseline study which is intended to analyse the starting point of each of the project regions and their policy instruments, as well as local challenges and learning needs. In collaboration with all partners, the necessary information will be gathered based on the design and structure of the study which with also pave the way for the dentification and collection of good practices among the project partners.

During the workshop the UPO team described the policy tools and governance framework that the baseline study will be built on. Next, the team descripted how it will identify the indicators to use for the study to characterise each partners’ region or city. Lastly, the UPO team explained how it will support partners to select, appraise and categorise the Good Practices (GP) that will be shared by each Partner. Specifically, a tool kit for the GP selection and categorisation that the UPO has developed was presented and which will guide partners in this important interactive learning exchange exercise.

The first workshop was a successful and informative event with many engaging questions asked on technical aspects of stakeholder interaction, as well as the required data for the baseline study. The next workshop will be held on the 24 June 2025 (online) and will guide partners to use the Interreg Portal and introduce the Project Communication Plan.

More Information on the Sup4Sud Project

Sup4Sud

The project will examine the possibilities and potential of inter-regional cooperation in order to modernise and streamline the operation of local governments.