Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 18: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the changes he is proposing regarding the staffing of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5537/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Public Service (Croke Park) Agreement 2010-2014 sets out how the Civil Service needs to be re-organised in the context of reduced resources and numbers in order to provide a more effective and focused service. My Department and its agencies provide action plans under the Agreement to the Implementation Body which are updated on a quarterly basis as progress is made on issues such as redeployment, better business processes and greater flexibility.

My Department and its agencies will be working to ensure that reductions to staffing numbers as set out in the Employment Control Framework (ECF) are met. It is acknowledged that achieving the reductions required under the ECF will be challenging and will require the civil service to be more efficient and effective, achieving greater productivity and demonstrating greater flexibility. In terms of specific human resource (HR) actions Personnel will, inter alia, fully implement new sick leave arrangements and are taking a more proactive approach in dealing with different aspects of underperformance.

The Deputy will also be aware that at a Government meeting held on the 15th March, 2011, it was decided to reduce the number of staff permitted in Minister's Private Offices from 10 to 8 and Minister of State's Private Offices from 7 to 5. The number of staff permitted in Minister's Constituency Offices has been reduced from 6 to 4 and Ministers of State's Constituency Offices from 5 to 3. The staffing of these offices at my Department will be in accordance with these reduced parameters.