Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 68: To ask the Minister for Finance the role and salary grades of the 200 additional staff taken on recently by Anglo Irish Bank. [10062/11]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy may be aware, responsibility for the normal ongoing business of the bank, which includes staffing levels and the pay and conditions of the bank's staff, is a matter for the Board of Anglo. Significant progress has been made by the Board in reducing staffing levels in the bank. Anglo Irish Bank publishes information on its staffing levels and costs in its annual report and accounts. The accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2010 indicated that average staff levels in that year were 1,332 compared to 1,681 for the fifteen month period to end 2009, a reduction of 349. Note 9 to those accounts also sets out the costs associate with these staff as well as other administrative expenses of the bank over these periods.

The bank has also further informed my Department that the total headcount as at end December 2010 was 1,296 and that this has been further reduced in 2011 due to the fact that in February 2011, 210 staff transferred to AIB when the deposit books of the bank transferred to AIB.

These are aggregate staffing levels in the bank and the turnover of staff has been even greater. The bank has informed me that, since 2009, around 410 employees have joined the bank but that the number leaving over the same period has been even greater, at in excess of 1,000. The bank also stated that where staff have been added, these were primarily to address turnover and resource requirements in the areas of asset recovery, risk management and control functions which are critical to the efficient work out of the bank's assets and the achievement of the maximum return for the shareholder.

As regards future staffing requirements, a joint restructuring and work out plan for both Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide Building Society was submitted to the European Commission on 31 January. Once a final decision is reached on this plan the number of staff and the required skill sets for the merged entity, will have to be considered by the Board of the new merged entity in conjunction with the NTMA.