Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 597: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of officials at principal officer level or higher, in both absolute terms and as a percentage of total staff, who are expected to be working in his Department following full implementation of the incentivised early retirement scheme. [36859/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Due to amendments to the Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement (ISER) which have issued from the Department of Finance, valid applications will be considered up to and including 23 October, 2009, so it is not possible to confirm final numbers of applicants at this time. However, taking as a baseline the latest staffing figures available at end-September, 2009, the numbers of officers at Principal Officer level and higher (72 or 71.2 whole time equivalent) is approximately 5.5% of total staff in my Department (1307.16 wte). On the basis of the current numbers of applications on hand for the ISER it is expected that the numbers of officers at Principal Officer level and higher will be (68 or 67.6 wte) or approximately 5.3% of total staff in my Department (1286.66 wte - based on end September staffing numbers minus ISER applications approved or currently being considered) following implementation of the ISER.

As well as all administrative staff, the above figures also include non-administrative/professional grades e.g. staff of the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and of the Inspectorate. In addition to the ISER it should be noted that this percentage will be affected by other significant reductions in staffing numbers which will occur for a variety of reasons including all other retirements, the Incentivised Career Break Scheme, the levy to provide staff to the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the moratorium on recruitment.