Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department, like all Government departments and agencies is required to operate within a staff ceiling figure and a commensurate administrative staffing budget, which for this Department has involved reductions in staff numbers.

Table 1 below details the number of permanent staff and Temporary Clerical Officers working in my Department at year end in respect of 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and at the end of November 2019. The figure for full time equivalents (FTE) takes account of staff that avail of work-share options. Temporary Clerical Officers are employed to cover long term absences eg. maternity leave, carers leave, long term illness, shorter working year scheme and also to support projects such as the roll out of the Public Service Card, SWY and Total Pension Contribution project.

Table 2 details the allocated salary budget for each year. This budget is set by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. While the staffing numbers in my Department have been decreasing, the salary budget has risen as a result of increases in salaries arising from such agreements as the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018 – 2020.

Table 1: Staffing Numbers

Table 2: Salary Budget

* In 2015 there was an extra pay run for fortnightly paid staff. Extra money was allocated for this.