Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 210: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the progress made regarding the redeployment of the estimated 400 staff previously employed in administering farm income support schemes; the number of such staff redeployed to date; the locations and the sectors of her Department to which they have been redeployed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26466/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The introduction of the single payment scheme this December and the consequential ending of a number of headage and premium schemes will reduce my Department's requirement for staff. While the final net impact cannot be stated exactly at this stage, it is estimated that my Department will be able to operate with approximately 400 less staff than authorised numbers.

The redeployment of staff is actively managed within my Department to ensure that the service levels for our clients in existing schemes are maintained and that the preparations for the introduction of the single payment scheme are progressed satisfactorily. To this end many staff freed from the livestock and premium schemes have been transferred, on a temporary basis, to work on the new single payment scheme.

My Department has also been in contact with other Departments that have networks of existing local offices, in particular the Revenue Commissioners, the Departments of Social and Family Affairs, Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, the Courts Service and Land Registry, with regard to the transfer of staff to other Departments. A total of 28 staff comprising one principal officer, one assistant principal, six higher executive officers, five executive officers, two staff officers and 13 clerical officers from local offices and Castlebar have already been redeployed to other Departments.