Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We actually did and I should have said we have the reply. It is No. 2531B. I should have linked this to the other remark earlier. We wrote to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport because we were so shocked that day. We have the reply back from it, No. 2531B, dated 6 November 2019. It actually states under progress in implementation that in December 2018, the NTA received approval from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for the sanction of funding of phase 1 involving 26 additional new positions.

The recruitment of the additional personnel commenced in January 2019 and all new staff are expected to be in place by the end of the year. Phase 2 of the plan was approved by the Department's management board in July 2019, and it is engaged with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the NTA in respect of sanction for phases 2 and 3. Discussions are continuing on the approval of the associated delegated pay sanctions for phase 2 of the plan.

The Department's effort to date, even in respect of the 26 additional staff, has been minuscule and it has not dealt with the issue. Given that it is now in talks about phases 2 and 3, we will write to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform because it is involved in the sanction. The sanction it should consider relates to ensuring that it has the adequate complement of staff rather than continually paying contracted staff, who cost €140,000 each as opposed to the average salary of €73,000. If the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has the remotest interest in the issue of cost, that is what it should consider, rather than arguing whether 24 or 26 additional staff should be appointed. It is symptomatic of where we are.