Written answers

Tuesday, 23 October 2012

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Local Authority Staff

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the way he intends the proposed voluntary redundancy scheme outlined in his proposals for local government reform to be applied across local authorities; if this scheme will take into account existing per capita staffing level differences across local authorities; if the scheme will have regard to a need to maintain certain essential functions; if he has any proposal to redeploy remaining staff to balance out any service gaps which may emerge; if he intends to ultimately eliminate the existing wide variance in per capita staffing levels through this process of reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46125/12]

Photo of Phil HoganPhil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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In the context of the broader public service reform process, the local government sector has been at the forefront in driving greater efficiencies and securing financial savings. The first two annual progress reports under “Croke Park” from the Local Government Sector identified very significant savings of c€450m. Payroll savings have been delivered mainly through staff reductions of almost 8,600 (23%) from 37,243 (June 2008) to 28,652 (September 2012).

The departure of 8,600 staff from the sector since 2008 has inevitably impacted in different ways upon individual local authorities. The staff reductions and the absence of any significant recruitment over a five year period makes it critical that we examine the present and future workforce demographic in the context of service delivery, organisational diversity, knowledge transfer, up-skilling/re-skilling and succession planning. To support the sector in effectively managing the combination of staff reductions and the reform/change programme a Workforce Study has been undertaken jointly by local authorities and my Department. In particular, it assesses the management requirements of local authorities bearing in mind the potential impacts of shared services and other reform initiatives underway. Each local authority is in turn preparing a detailed workforce plan outlining how it will implement the Study’s recommendations.

The Government has decided to introduce a targeted Voluntary Redundancy (VR) Scheme in parts of the Public Service. Details of how a scheme would operate in particular sectors are still being finalised within the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. As outlined, in the Action Programme for Effective Local Government: Putting People First , the potential to reach the optimum staffing structures indicated in the workforce plan as soon as possible through the use of voluntary exit mechanisms will be examined.

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