Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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81. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities have adequate flexibility in the recruitment of the multidisciplinary competencies necessary for both active travel teams and town teams, as outlined in Government policy and funding initiatives. [20494/22]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I have responsibility under the Public Service Management Acts for recruitment to the Civil Service. I have no responsibility for recruitment in various other branches of the wider public service, however, which are assigned to the relevant Minister. The Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004 sets out that the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage is responsible for all matters relating to recruitment to local authorities.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the local government sector remains vibrant and sustainable and is well equipped and properly resourced to deliver the key functions within its remit. I am informed by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage that the local government sector is embarking on a significant expansion of activities across a range of areas, including active travel and town centre first, both of which are programme for Government commitments and depend on a level of local authority input to deliver.

Where a new programme initiative is proposed that requires implementation at local authority level, the initiative will be brought by the relevant Department to the County and City Managers Association, CCMA, for discussion and agreement, particularly with regard to the number, grade and funding of staff required to deliver the programme.

In the case of active travel, which was brought before the CCMA, the National Transport Authority, NTA, developed a categorisation system with indicative staffing resource requirements across all local authorities as well as increases in dedicated active travel resources within the regional design offices. The NTA identified the appropriate analogous grades to deliver the significantly increased programme of active travel infrastructure and the local authorities are resourcing the programme as required.

The town centre first policy, which was launched in February, provides a co-ordinated, whole-of-government policy framework to proactively address the decline in the health of towns across Ireland and support measures to regenerate and revitalise them. Under the policy, it is proposed to appoint a town regeneration officer in local authorities to support the implementation of town centre first and work with local town teams drawn from the local community. The Department of Rural and Community Development, which is funding these posts, is currently in discussions with the CCMA to finalise the specifics of the role based on the programme of work to be delivered.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy is absolutely right to highlight the level of priority this Government affords to the issue of active travel. We have committed €1.8 billion towards its development over the five-year period to 2026.

On the specific issue of getting the correct mix of skills and experience to deliver these programmes, it is primarily a matter for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Section 160(1)(a) of the Local Government Act 2001 states: "The appropriate Minister may declare qualifications of such classes and descriptions as he or she thinks fit for a specified employment under a local authority or for such of the employments as belong to a specified class, description or grade."

It could, therefore, just be a case of rewriting the question and putting it before the Minister with responsibility for housing. I have direct responsibility in respect of recruitment to the Civil Service but public service recruitment falls to the line Minister and the Local Government Act 2001 provides a statutory basis. I agree with the Deputy's core point on the need for a balance of skills, one that is broader than those brought by civil engineers, to ensure a holistic approach is adopted to delivering the active travel programme. If there is anything my officials or I can do to support or facilitate the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and his team to achieve that, we are certainly willing to help.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I agree we need multidisciplinary teams to deliver the full set of active travel projects, given the set of skills that is needed is certainly wider than that confined to the engineering profession. Nevertheless, there is adequate flexibility within the current statutory framework for the local government sector to recruit people with different qualifications, skills and experience. Currently, more than 30,000 people are employed in the local government sector. I reiterate that if I or my officials can be of any assistance to the line Minister and his Department in the implementation of the active travel programme, we will be more than happy to assist.