Written answers
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
Department of Finance
Departmental Staff
9:00 pm
Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Question 54: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of staff sanctioned by him in 2011 despite the recruitment moratorium; their grade; the organisation they work for and the number of applications that have been refused to date in 2011. [9707/11]
Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The moratorium on recruitment and promotion, introduced by the Government at the end of March 2009 allows for certain general exemptions in the Education and Health Sectors for the filling of certain key posts as well as for the Local Authorities in relation to certain key posts. Information in relation to the posts covered by these general exemptions may be sought from the relevant Ministers. While Departments have been implementing the moratorium in respect of themselves and the bodies under their aegis, there are occasions where a Department needs to fill a post, in either the case of a civil service post or in relation to a public service post in a body under the aegis of the Department. Such exemptions to the moratorium require the sanction of the Minister for Finance.
Each request for an exception is assessed on a case by case basis. Approval to fill posts is based on the business case made including consideration of, for example:
a. statutory posts which have to be filled for legal reasons;
b. safety related posts where a failure to fill them could leave the state
open to potential legal liabilities or for security reasons;
c. in order to ensure the continuity of essential services
d. where the failure to fill a post could result in a breach of EU/international
regulations etc.;
e. some specialist/technical posts are required to ensure continuity of core
operations e.g. legal officers; laboratory staff, maritime safety, etc.;
Departments and Offices do have to exhaust other possibilities such as redeployment, the re-assignment of staff or the re-organisation of work before applying for an exception to the moratorium.
In addition, as part of the Employment Control Framework 2011-2014 for the Health Sector, the HSE has discretion to fill a limited number of posts on exceptional grounds to support the development of integrated health care and its transformation programme. However, as part of this facility, posts of equivalent value in non-frontline areas must be suppressed for any exception made.
Details of the individual exemptions sought by each Department in respect of Civil Service and Public Service posts this year are set out in tables 1 and 2, respectively.
Civil Service
Table 1 sets out the details of exceptions to the moratorium which have been sought in respect of the Civil Service.
Since my appointment on March 9 2011, exceptions have been sought to fill 134 posts of which 13 were refused and 9 are still under consideration. Of the 112 approved, however, only some 14 of these posts will in time involve recruitment of extra staff.
In addition sanction has also been given for some 40 temporary posts to the CSO for Census 2011 and there has also been sanction, as is normal, for various temporary 'summer relief' type posts.
Public Service
Table 2 sets out the breakdown of exceptions to the moratorium which have been sought in respect of the wider Public Service. My Department has received 6 requests resulting in 20 posts being sanctioned.
Dept / Office Title | Exception Sought1 | Grade | No of Exceptions Sought Promotion/Recruitment Redeployment | Decision | Sanction Date | Exceptions Granted Promotion/ Recruitment Redeployment | Basis of Sanction |
sought | |||||||
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES & FOOD | Appointment of Ministerial Staff | Personal Secretary, Assistant, Civilian drivers, special advisers | 8 | Approved | 10-Mar-11 | 8 | Ministerial Appointments |
appointment of AP | AP | 1 | Approved | 21-Apr-11 | 1 | 15 Aps retired in the previous 2 years. Consequential HEO vacancy will not be filled | |
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE | Executive Officer | Executive Officer | 1 | Approved | 28/01/2011 | 1 | Business needs of office |
Special Advisor | PO | 1 | Approved | 29/03/2011 | 1 | Ministerial Appointment | |
CO | CO | 1 | Approved | 15/04/2011 | 1 | Long term sick leave case | |
CHIEF STATE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE | CO | CO | 1 | Approved | 13-Apr-11 | 1 | Business needs of office |
COMMUNICATIONS, ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES | Appointment of Ministerial Staff | Personal Secretary, Assistant, Civilian drivers, special advisers | 6 | Approved | 31-Mar-11 | 6 | Ministerial Appointments |
Energy Division PO | PO | 1 | Higher duty Allowance | 01-Jan-11 | 1 | progress made on achieving numbers reduction targets in the Department | |
Director of GSI | PO | 1 | Refused | 01-Jan-11 | |||
EO | 1 | Approved | 28-Feb-11 | 1 | CO Post Suppressed in lieu | ||
COMMUNITY, EQUALITY & GAELTACHT AFFAIRS | Appointment of Ministerial Staff | Personal Secretary, Assistant, Civilian drivers special advisers | 3 | Approved | 21-Mar-11 | 3 | Ministerial Appointments |
Acting up allowance to PO level at Coimisinéir Teanga | AP | 1 | Approved | 01-Mar-11 | 1 | Until September 2011 only | |
To allow substantive AP grade for 4 HEOs who have been on acting up basis for 3 years | AP | 4 | Approved | 09-Mar-11 | 4 | Duration of acting up period. | |
Family Support Agency | appointment of mediators | HEO equivalent | 4 | Approved | 25-Jan-11 | 4 | Statutory function to provide family mediation service - sanction for 1 year. Supports a pilot project to be jointly implemented by the FSA and Legal Aid Board and the Courts Services for the integrated delivery of mediation services |
COMPTROLLER & AUDITOR GENERAL | Trainee Auditor | Trainee Auditor | 1 | Approved | 28/04/2011 | 1 | To replace Auditor recently deceased, during busiest period for auditing. |
DEFENCE | Prof. Accountant Grade I (Tempoary) | Prof. Accountant Grade I | 1 | Approved | 24-Mar-11 | 1 | Business critical case |
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS | Legal Researcher (temp.) | Legal Researcher (temp.) | 1 | Approved | 13-Apr-11 | 1 | Business critical case |
EDUCATION & SKILLS | Appointment of Ministerial Staff | Personal Secretary, Assistant, Civilian drivers, special advisers | 2 | Approved | 07-Apr-11 | 2 | Ministerial Appointments |
Director of Operations, State Exams Commission | Director | 1 | Approved | 17-Feb-11 | 1 | Busines criticl case (Junior & Leaving Certs) | |
SEC | Director (HEAD) | 1 | Approved | 09-Mar-11 | 1 | Busines critical case (Junior & Leaving Certs) | |
ENVIRONMENT, HERITAGE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT | Appointment of Ministerial Staff | Personal Secretary, Assistant, Civilian drivers, special advisers | 5 | Approved | various 10 March 2011 to 21 March 2011 | 5 | Ministerial Appointments |
Met Ãireann appointment of Assistant Director | Assistant Director | 1 | Approved | 28-Jan-11 | 1 | Addressing management gap caused by retirements. Consequential vacancy suppressed | |
ENTERPRISE, TRADE & INNOVATION | Appointment of Ministerial Staff | Personal Secretary, Assistant, Civilian drivers, special advisers | 13 | Approved | various 10 March 2011 to 11 April 2011 | 13 | Ministerial Appointments |
Labour Relations Commission | To re-appoint 8 Rights Commissioners | Rights Commissioners | 8 | Approved | 19/7/10 and 26/10/10 | 8 | Re-appointments are necessary for the working of the Labour Relations Commission |
Labour Court | To appoint a replacement workers member of Labour Court | Workers member Equivalent to penultimate point of the PO (Higher) scale. | 1 | Approved | 10/11/2010 | 1 | Statutory Post |
Filling of 1 AP vacancy by internal promotion | AP | 1 | Approved | 10/11/2010 | 1 | Business critical post. | |
Employee Appeals Tribunal | Filling of 1 AP vacancy by internal promotion | AP | 1 | Approved | 10/11/2010 | 1 | Business critical post. |
Patents Office | Request for temporary Acting Up allowance from EO to HEO | HEO | 1 | Approved | 04/02/2011 | 1 | Business critical post and the office is reorganising to cover additional vacancies. |
WAM project - temporary placement | Graduate | 1 | Approved | 15/03/2011 | 1 | Temporary replacement for 6 months- administered by the Association of Higher Education Access Disability (AHEAD) | |
ODCE | Reappointment of Director | Assistant Secretary | 1 | Approved | 01/10/2010 | 1 | Statutory post. In public interest. |
FINANCE | Appointment of Ministerial Staff | Personal Secretary, Assistant, Civilian drivers, special advisers | 3 | Approved | 03-May-11 | 3 | Ministerial Appointments |
Manager of the Civil Service Employee Assistance Service by interdepartmental competition | AP | 1 | Approved | 23/02/2011 | 1 | Filling of post necessitated by need to make more effective and to centralise the Employee Assistance Service within the Dept of Finance | |
FOREIGN AFFAIRS | Appointment of Ministerial Staff | Personal Secretary, Assistant, Civilian drivers, special advisers | 8 | Approved | Various 29 March 2011 to 8 April 2011 | 8 | Ministerial Appointments |
HEALTH / CHILDREN | Appointment of Ministerial Staff | Personal Secretary, Assistant, Civilian drivers, special advisers | 12 | Approved | Various 10 March to 18 April 2011 | 12 | Ministerial Appointments |
JUSTICE, EQUALITY & LAW REFORM | Appointment of Ministerial Staff | Personal Secretary, Assistant, Civilian drivers, special advisers | 3 | Approved | 24-Mar-11 | 3 | Ministerial Appointments |
Garda Civilians | Head of HR strategy | PO | 1 | Not Granted | - | 0 | Business Critcal |
Head of Garda Infor Services centre | PO | 1 | Not Granted | - | 0 | Business Critcal | |
IT staff 9 | Various | 9 | Part Granted | 19-Apr-11 | 4 | Business Critcal | |
Head of legal affairs | PO higher | 1 | Approved | 19-Apr-11 | 1 | Business Critcal | |
OSCAM | Various | 4 | Part Granted | 19-Apr-11 | 2 | Business Critcal | |
GISC | HEO | 3 | Approved | 19-Apr-11 | 3 | Business Critcal | |
Accident Damage Manager | HEO | 1 | Not Granted | 19-Apr-11 | 0 | Business Critcal | |
Vehicle inspectors | EO | 2 | Part Granted | 19-Apr-11 | 1 | Business Critcal | |
Dr | Dr | 1 | Not Granted | 19-Apr-11 | 0 | Business Critcal | |
HR manager | HEO | 2 | Approved | 19-Apr-11 | 2 | Business Critcal | |
Crime analyst | HEO | 2 | Not Granted | 19-Apr-11 | 0 | Business Critcal | |
Property Registration Authority | CEO replacement | Assistant Sec | 1 | Approved | 10-Feb-11 | 1 | Business Critcal |
Prison Service | Prison Dr | Dr | 1 | Approved | 14-Feb-11 | 1 | Prison operational reasons. |
OPW | Clerical support in Culture and Built Heritage area | CO | 1 | Approved | 24-Jan-11 | 1 | Part of limited overall sanction for the OPW |
Management vacancies | PO | 2 | Approved | 24-Jan-11 | 2 | Part of limited overall sanction for the OPW | |
Appointment of Minister of State Staff | Personal Secretary, Assistant, Civilian drivers | 4 | Approved | various 10 March 2011 to 25 March 2011 | 4 | Ministerial Appointments | |
PUBLIC EXPENDITURE & REFORM | Appointment of Ministerial | Personal Secretary, Civilian drivers | 3 | Approved | 20-Apr-11 | 3 | Ministerial Appointments |
Appointment of Secretary General | Secretary General | 1 | Approved | 26-Apr-11 | 1 | government appointment | |
SOCIAL PROTECTION | Appointment of Ministerial Staff | Personal Secretary | 1 | Approved | 20-Apr-11 | 1 | Ministerial Appointment |
TAOISEACH | Appointment of Ministerial Staff | Personal Secretary, Assistant, Civilian drivers, special advisers | 9 | Under Consideration | Ministerial Appointments | ||
TRANSPORT | Appointment of Ministerial Staff | Personal Secretary, Assistant, Civilian drivers, special advisers | 14 | Approved | various 10 March 2011 to 26 April 2011 | 14 | Ministerial Appointments |
TOTAL | 165 | 141 | |||||
Table 2- Requests for Exceptions in the Public Service
Department of Social Protection
No. of requests | Requesting Body | Purpose of Sanction | Grade | No. of posts | Decision | No. of posts granted | Date Sanctioned | Comment |
1 | Pensions Board | Staff required due to developments in the pensions arena | 1 PO4 APs4 HEOs3 EOs | 12 | Sanction was given for the transfer of 6 posts from the Department of Social Protection's ECF by end-2012; Sanction was given for 6 posts to be recruited on fixed-term contracts for a period of no more than 3 years. | 12 (6 posts to be transferred from DSP and 6 posts to be recruited externally on a three year fixed-term contract) | 11 March 2011 | |
1 | Citizens Information Board | This was to fill the position made vacant by the resignation of an administrator who was acting up into an ICT project management role until 31 March 2011; | Grade 4 ICT Administrator Post | 1 | 1 | 31 March 2011 | ||
To fill a Grade 7 (HEO) ICT vacancy for the duration of 11 months until November 2011 | Grade 7 (HEO) ICT area | 1 | 1 | 2 March 2011 |
Department of Environment, Heritage & Local Government
No. of requests | Requesting Body | Purpose of Sanction | Grade | No. of posts | Decision | No. of posts granted | Date Sanctioned | Comment |
1 | An Bord Pleanála | To fill Chairperson Post | Equivalent to High Court Judge subject to the provisions of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Acts 2009 | 1 | Statutory PostPost advertised stating that pay is being reviewed & may be subject to downward revision prior to appointment | 1 | 14th February 2011 | |
To fill Deputy Chairperson Post | Point 2 of former Assistant Secretary Scale at 12/12/09 minus 8% | 1 | Post to be filled for one year while re-grading of An Bord Pleanála Board member posts is being examined | 1 | 18th February 2011 |
Department of Education and Skills
No. of requests | Requesting Body | Purpose of Sanction | Grade | No. of posts | Decision | No. of posts granted | Date Sanctioned | Comment |
1 | NEWB | 1 x director of services1 x director of integration1 regional manager2 x education welfare officer1 x clerical officer post | Various | 6 | 1 EWO post extended by 6 months | 1 extension | 24 Mar 2011 | 1 post extended as due to expire 29 March 2011 |
1 | Co. Mayo VEC | Temp extension pending VEC amalgamation | Acting Education Officer | 1 | Approved until 30 Sept 2011 | 1 | 29 Mar 2011 | Temporary extension of essential post until VEC rationalisation |
1 | Teaching Council | Renew contracts of 5 Temp Cos to complete registration of existing and new teachers for 2011/2012 academic year | Clerical Officer | 5 | Approved until 31 August 2011 only | 5 | 31 Mar 2011 | To finalise registration of existing and new teachers in time for September 2011 academic year. |
FÃS also received sanction on the 11th of March to recruit 40 temporary clerical officers of 100 sought as cover for staff availing of the
Shorter Working Year scheme
Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport
No. | Requesting Body | Purpose of Sanction | Grade | No. of posts | Decision | No. of posts granted | Date Sanctioned | Comment |
1 | Irish Film Board | To enable CEO post to be filled | Principal Officer, Higher Scale | 1 | Grant | 1 | 4 February 2011 | |
1 | National Gallery | To enable the post of Director to be filled | Principal Officer, Higher Scale | 1 | Grant | 1 | 10 January 2011 | |
1 | Irish Museum of Modern Art | To enable the post of Director to be filled | Principal Officer, Standard Scale | 1 | Grant | 1 | 28 April 2011 | |
1 | The Arts Council | To enable the post of Director to be filled | Principal Officer, Standard Scale | 1 | Grant | 1 | 17 February 2011 |
Fáilte Ireland also requested 80 seasonal Tourist Information Officers (clerical) to staff its Information Offices for the tourist season.
Sanction granted on 20th of April. Shannon Development was also granted 12 Tourist Information Officers on the same basis.
Such sanctions are given on the understanding that the pay can be met from within existing budgetary resources
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