David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 408: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 824 of 25 January 2006 the number of posts that his Department is currently working to fill as stated in his reply; the location of each post; the grade of each post; the way in which he intends to fill each post; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3372/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The filling of posts in the Department is considered in the context of the Government policy on public service numbers and of the needs of the service to be provided. Posts, where they fall vacant, are examined critically on this context before a decision to fill them is made.

The present position is that the Department is currently working on filling 50 vacant posts which have arisen in recent months. These comprise of three assistant principal officers, 14 higher executive officers, six executive officers, eight staff officers and 19 clerical officers. A total of 13 of the posts are based in the Department's local offices, a further eight posts are on investigative duties, with the remaining 29 in various areas of the Department.

Arrangements are in train to fill these posts in the normal way including the redeployment of staff within the Department on lateral transfer and the redeployment of surplus staff from the Department of Agriculture and Food. In addition, some posts will be filled by promotion or by recruitment from panels operated by the Public Appointments Service.