Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 160: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the way he will achieve the reduction of 3% in payroll costs for his Department, as announced by the Minister for Finance in July 2008; the cost saving measures initiated and the amount saved by each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33759/08]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 167: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if it is intended to effect a reduction in staffing levels in the private or constituency offices of himself or his Ministers of State arising from the requirement to achieve a reduction of 3% in payroll costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33760/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 160 and 167 together.

A range of measures are being put in place in order to achieve the reduction of 3% in payroll costs for the Department. The existing prioritisation of staff resources in line with the business needs of the Department is being examined and, in this context, the need to fill each vacancy that arises in the normal course or from the transfer of staff from the Department under the Government's Decentralisation programme will be reviewed. In addition it is proposed to reduce the current level of overtime. It is not possible to give a detailed breakdown of the savings that will arise but they are expected to be of the order of €400,000 in 2009.

In the case of my private and constituency offices, the staffing level is at a total of 10, 5 serving in my Private Office and 5 in my Constituency office. This is well within the permitted limits set out in the Department of Finance Guidelines on the staffing of Ministerial Offices. While I consider the present number to be a minimum requirement in the context of the business needs and the satisfactory functioning of the offices, I will keep the matter under review.

The Minister of State, Mr. Martin Mansergh, T.D. does not have private or constituency office facilities at this Department.