Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)

The Minister said the purpose of the schemes was to reduce staffing numbers in local authorities and he gave the figures. However, they are in addition to information I received from him last week on the number of staff employed by local authorities. There has been a significant reduction in the number of staff working in permanent posts in local authorities, with 550 fewer permanent staff in the country as a whole since June 2008. These reductions are in addition to huge cutbacks in the numbers of temporary staff in local authorities, with 3,604 fewer staff than in June 2008. This is because local authorities are trying to keep within budget because the Government has cut local government funding. Of the counties affected by flooding, Cork County Council has 459 fewer temporary staff and 81 fewer permanent staff and there are similar patterns in Galway, County Clare and Cork city. Many of these temporary staff would have been outdoor staff who would have been able to help with flood alleviation measures. Is the Minister aware of the impact on resources of temporary staff cuts arising from the various schemes he outlined?

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