Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 402: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the date on which he received an application from New Ross Town Council to fill a full-time traffic warden position; the date on which he granted the position; if the position is permanent; and if not for what period is the contract. [34624/11]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 403: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the correct procedure a local authority must follow when seeking to fill a traffic warden position. [34625/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 402 and 403 together.

The moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the public service was introduced in March 2009 following a Government Decision to implement savings measures across the wider public service. The emergency measure was introduced as a response to the financial crisis facing the State.

My Department received a delegated sanction from the Department of Finance in August 2009 for implementation of the moratorium in relation to all local authorities. This is on condition that the overall staffing levels in the sector are reduced in line with the Employment Control Framework.

Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each County and City Manager is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. In this regard, it is a matter for County and City Managers, in the first instance, to ensure that the reduction in staff numbers is managed so that the appropriate service level is maintained. Any exceptions to the moratorium require prior sanction from my Department.

My Department works very closely with local authorities to ensure that critical posts are filled while overall numbers are reduced. All staffing sanction requests are examined on a case by case basis having due regard to the continued delivery of key services and the need to further reduce overall staffing levels and expenditure in the local authority sector.

In considering sanction requests public safety, maintaining key front line services and economic issues are given precedence as is the requirement to avoid increases in overall staffing levels. Contract posts are favoured as they allow flexibility in this most challenging period for Ireland's economy. In the very exceptional situation that a post is to be filled permanently all redeployment options must be fully exhausted before recruitment can be countenanced.

On 22 December 2010 my Department received a request, from Wexford County Council, to fill a position of time traffic warden in New Ross as an exception to the moratorium. Sanction, to fill the post, on a three-year contract basis, was granted by letter dated 24 January 2011.