Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 363: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of local authority employees, including full time, temporary and casual workers, currently employed; if any of the local authority workforce has been reduced over the past 12 months; if there were additional jobs to be filled or vacant positions; the number of these positions that have been left vacant; if local authorities have laid off employees during that period; if so, the amount of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8833/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The number of local authority employees expressed as whole time equivalents, at the 31 of December 2008, was 33,698. A further 1,309 temporary / seasonal staff were also employed at that date. At end of 2007 there were 33,785 whole time equivalents employed, implying a reduction of 87 over the previous 12 months. The figure for temporary seasonal staff was 1,202 at the end of 2007, implying an increase of 107 over the previous 12 months. It is normal to see fluctuations in staffing numbers particularly in relation to temporary/ seasonal staff, and it is expected that the end of March 2009 figures will show a further reduction in temporary/seasonal staff.

In regard to the staffing requirements in each local authority, it is the responsibility of each county and city manager, under the Local Government Act 2001, to employ such staff and to make such staffing and organisational arrangements as may be deemed necessary for the purposes of carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is the manager. The matters raised in the question are, accordingly, appropriately determined at local level.

Overall staffing levels in the local government sector are subject to current Government policy on payroll management and staffing numbers.