Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 259: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of staff employed at local government level at the end of 2008, 2009 and 2010; the way front line services are to be filled; if he will provide a definition of front line services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6594/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The numbers of permanent and temporary, whole time equivalent, staff employed in local authorities for 2008, 2009 and 2010 are set out in the table.

Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each County and City Manager is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements, necessary for carrying out the functions and delivering the front line services of the local authority for which he or she is responsible.

My Department has a delegated sanction, from the Department of Finance, for implementation of the general moratorium on the filling of public sector posts in the local authority sector.

Under these arrangements local authorities must, where vacancies arise, consider all options for reorganisation and reallocation of work to meet requirements. Any exceptions to the moratorium require sanction from my Department. All staffing sanction requests are examined on a case by case basis having due regard to the continued delivery of services and the need to further reduce overall staffing levels in the local authority sector.