Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 75: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of vacancies expected to arise by end of 2009 which will remain unfilled as a result of the circular issued by the Department of Finance on 27 March 2009 in respect of her Department and each of the State agencies or boards for which she has responsibility. [27430/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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It is not possible to accurately predict the number of vacancies expected to arise in my Department by the end of 2009, which will remain unfilled as a result of the circular issued by the Department of Finance on 27 March 2009 placing a moratorium on the filling of vacancies in the Public Service.

The only area where predictions can be made relate to those staff who will retire in accordance with the compulsory retirement scheme. Since 27 March 2009 ten staff members have retired from the Department with a further two compulsory retirements to take place before the end of 2009. Consequential vacancies will not be filled. Additional vacancies will be created as a result of the following incentives introduced by the Minister for Finance in recent months:

o Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement (Circular 12/09), whereby employees of 50 years of age and over who have already accrued entitlement to preserved superannuation benefits under a public service scheme, and who have not yet reached normal preserved pension age can apply for early retirement. The Scheme is open to applications from 1 May 2009 until 1 September 2009 after which the scheme will be reviewed in the context of Budget 2010. The scheme will result in some staff retirements with consequential vacancies; however at this early stage it is not possible to predict what the take up will be in relation to this scheme.

o Special Civil Service Incentive Career Break Scheme 2009 (Circular 13/2009) whereby staff can avail of applying for a three year career break and will be paid an incentive payment of a third of gross basic pay to a maximum of €12,500, per year, payable quarterly in arrears, for each year of the 3 year period of the career break incentive scheme (this figure is based on staff who work full time). My Department has received 32 applications from staff wishing to avail of the scheme.

County Enterprise Boards

Based on information to hand it is expected that there will be at least 6 vacancies across the CEB network by the end of 2009, which will be unfilled. However this does not take account of the take-up on the ISER scheme and the Career Break Scheme as no formal decisions on the expressions of interest received to date have yet been made. It is expected that a clearer picture will emerge in coming weeks.

FÁS

The number of vacancies expected to arise in FÁS by the end of 2009, which will remain unfilled is 105.18 (full-time equivalent posts).

IDA Ireland

IDA Ireland expects that 14 vacancies will arise by the end of 2009, which will remain unfilled.

Additional vacancies will be created as a result of the Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement (Circular 12/09), and the Special Civil Service Incentive Career Break Scheme 2009 (Circular 13/2009). Both schemes will result in some staff retirements and career breaks with consequential vacancies, however at this stage it is not possible to predict what the take up will be in relation to these schemes. The Personal Injuries Assessment Board The Personal Injuries Assessment Board expects to have 4 vacancies arising in 2009, which will remain unfilled (1 application for the Incentivised Scheme for Early Retirement, 3 fixed term contracts due to expire). The Competition Authority Currently the Competition Authority has 7 vacancies and, at this time, is aware of 1 further vacancy that will arise during 2009. The Competition Authority cannot predict if any other vacancies might arise between now and the end of 2009 Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority (IAASA) IAASA currently has 3 vacancies. It is not aware of further vacancies that will arise in 2009. Enterprise Ireland Enterprise Ireland expects that 53 vacancies will arise by the end of 2009. Forfás Forfás expects that 17 vacancies will arise by the end of 2009. InterTradeIreland InterTradeIreland expects 2 vacancies to arise by the end of 2009. Shannon Development Currently, Shannon Development has 2 vacancies for which there can be no external recruitment. The Health and Safety Authority The Health and Safety Authority expects 5 vacancies to arise before the end of 2009. National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) The National Standards Authority of Ireland expects 13 vacancies to arise by the end of 2009. It is anticipated that this could rise to at least 25 by year end, through normal retirements and the take up of initiatives announced by the Minister for Finance. The National Consumer Agency A staffing complement of 80 was approved for the National Consumer Agency. This complement was never reached. Numbers have declined to the current level of 45. By end 2009 the National Consumer Agency expects to employ 39 whole time equivalents. Discussions are currently taking place with the Department of Finance with a view to returning the Agency, as an interim measure, to its early 2009 staffing level of 51.