Public Service Panels - Order of Merit

Hi all,

Does anyone know much about the Order of Merit for Public Service campaigns.

I applied for a role in June, interviewed early September, and yesterday I was emailed to say I was ranked #8 on the Overall Order of Merit.

Further to that I was ranked #7 for Dublin, #6 for Waterford, and #7 Roscommon (despite indicating Dublin as the only location I would be willing to work).

This wouldn't have been a large campaign (similar to Clerical Officer campaign), but I would imagine 50-100 people may have been interviewed, although that is a guesstimate

1. Does anyone know why I was given a ranking for locations other than Dublin
2. How long does the panel last generally before expiring?
3. Is there anywhere I can find out more information about specific campaigns and their Order of Merit?
4. Although my ranking is not a guarantee of a job offer, in general do high rankings get a job offer within a few months or could I be waiting years before hearing anything?

Thank you