Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 179: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is satisfied that frontline services are being prioritised during the ongoing job loses, embargo in the 34 premier local authorities; the way he is achieving the prioritisation of frontline services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40340/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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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, as a response to the financial crisis facing the State.

The terms of the moratorium are explicit and provide that no public service post, however arising, may be filled by recruitment, promotion, or payment of an allowance for the performance of duties at a higher grade. When vacancies arise public bodies must reallocate or reorganise work or staff accordingly. Any exceptions to this principle, which will arise in very limited circumstances only, require prior sanction.

My Department received a delegated sanction from the Department of Finance in August 2009 for implementation of this general moratorium on the filling of public sector posts across 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.

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 further to reduce overall staffing levels and expenditure in the local authority sector.

Local authorities have been early movers in terms of staff reductions with over 6,900 whole time equivalent staff leaving the sector since June 2008. The reduction of staff in local authorities is a net figure as given the nature of the front line services provided such as fire and emergency services, road and water services, beach supervision in summer months and other temporary seasonal services, some sanctions for exceptions to the moratorium need to be, and are, regularly approved. In this regard my Department has processed some 2,378 such requests since 2009.

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 permitted.