Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 8: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will provide an update on the numbers of permanent and temporary staff employed by each local authority in 2008, 2009 and 2010; the number of staff shed in each local authority area since the general election of 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15959/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The numbers of permanent and temporary staff employed across all 34 local authorities at end of December 2008 were 31,846 and 3,166 respectively, compared to 30,564 and 1,691 at end of December 2009. The breakdown by individual local authority will be circulated with the Official Record. Figures for 2010 are not yet available. Information In regard to the number of staff shed in each local authority since the 2007 general election is not available in the Department.

With effect from 24 March 2009 until the end of 2010, no public service post, however arising, may be filled by recruitment, promotion, or payment of an allowance for the performance of duties at a higher grade. This general moratorium also applies to temporary appointments on a fixed-term basis and to the renewal of such contracts.

The Department received a delegated sanction from the Department of Finance in August 2009 for implementation of this general moratorium on the filling of public sector posts across all local authorities. This is on condition that the overall staffing levels in the sector are reduced significantly by the end of 2010 in adherence with the Government's policy on staffing and numbers in the public sector.

Local authorities are expected, where vacancies arise, to consider options for reorganisation and reallocation of work to meet requirements. Staffing sanctions are granted by the Department in exceptional circumstances including where posts are of a statutory nature or for posts associated with frontline service delivery. In this context, in dealing with overall management of organisation and personnel, local authorities are expected to give priority to assuring compliance with statutory obligations and the delivery of front line services.

Staffing Table

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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There has been a substantial reduction in local authority staff numbers in the past year. Those figures indicated an approximate decline of 4,000, with the majority of those being temporary staff.

Local authorities are letting temporary staff go because of reduced budgets, with less money coming from both central Government and from rates. Most of those temporary staff were not well paid but they are now on the dole, so the public purse is paying their social welfare when the could have been employed by local authorities to do important work.

There will also be huge pressure on the remaining permanent staff, where numbers have also fallen significantly. Looking at tables for local authorities in response to previous questions, there is a huge variation between local authorities. Cork County Council has lost almost 500 staff but this was the council area that faced challenges from both flooding and snow. Now it faces problems with bad road conditions. There will be no major road works for the foreseeable future so temporary repairs are now important.

The shedding of local authority staff is not sustainable when we consider the challenges faced by those local authorities. Eventually they will not be able to function. Would the Minister not attempt to get the Minister for Finance to change his policy on funding for local authorities?

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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We would like to employ more people, that goes without saying. In these financially straightened times, however, where do we find the money? Everyone must ask that question. We cannot just continue to employ and pay people, we had to make difficult decisions. This was a difficult decision for me but I hope we are doing it in a way that does not affect services to a huge degree. That is all we can do under the circumstances. We have introduced a number of creative solutions, such as the incentivised career break scheme, where staff could take a three year career break and receive an incentive payment of a third of their gross basic pay up to a maximum of €12,500 per annum. A total of 295 local authority staff were approved for this scheme. That is what we are trying to do and, overall, we are managing well under the circumstances.

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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If we are not paying these people a salary through the local authority, instead we are paying them money through social welfare so it is not as if savings are being made. Also, when people are working, they pay tax so this is not necessarily a saving, as implied by the Minister.

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister ensure that local authorities keep on their apprentices so they can complete their courses? Is there any hope the local authorities will take on staff to deal with the dredging of rivers or unfinished housing estates in the summer?

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Given there is a moratorium in place, it is unlikely we will get extra staff, it is as a simple as that.