Brendan Kenneally (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 469: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if adequate staff, taking into account illness cover and maternity cover, are available to deal with new claims to her Department; her plans to review this sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32555/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department's Management Services Unit has responsibility for carrying out staffing assessments for all the business areas in the Department including Local Offices. The Administrative Productivity Training (APT) method of work measurement is used to identify, measure and quantify workloads and determine staffing requirements for all clerical/administrative work.

Based on the measurement, a core figure of staffing for each business unit is established. As part of this measure, a set 14.3% absence reserve is added to the suggested staffing calculations. The absence reserve covers all normal levels of annual, sick and special leave. In addition, 50% of absences due to Maternity Leave are covered, generally by way of temporary recruitment. As a consequence of the increasing live register the staffing levels in local offices were reviewed earlier this year and an additional 31 posts were assigned to some 15 offices. The impact of increasing claim loads is kept under ongoing review.