Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the names of the members of the Local Government Workforce Planning Group; the terms of reference of the group; the dates of meetings of the Group since it was established; the funding that is provided for the group; the source of the funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56361/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Workforce Planning Group was made up as follows:

Barry Quinlan: Principal Officer, Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.

Daniel McLoughlin: Manager – Westmeath County Council

Hubert Kearns: Manager – Sligo County Council

Conn Murray: Manager – Limerick City and County Council.

Peter Caulfield: Director of Service – Fingal County Council.

Frank Curran: Director of Service – Waterford County Council.

Mary Pyne: Assistant Manager – Dublin City Council.

John Flynn: Director of Service – Kerry County Council.

Paul Dunne: Local Government Management Agency.

The Terms of Reference for the Group’s work were as follows:

-How the recommendations contained in the Local Government Efficiency Review report with particular reference to senior and middle management might be addressed.

-The impact on local authorities of the staff recruitment moratorium, the incentivised early retirement scheme and the Employment Control Framework.

-The current and short-term workforce demographics in the context of maintaining a workforce equipped to meet on-going organisational and sectoral requirements including succession planning.

-There was no direct funding for the Group which was supported in terms of data gathering and analysis by the local government Programme Management Office for Reform and the Local Government Management Agency.

The Group met regularly between October 2011 and October 2012. The Workforce Planning Study is available on my Department’s website.

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the names of the members of the Local Government Efficiency Review Implementation Group; the terms of reference of the group; the dates of meetings of the group since it was established; the funding that is provided for the group; the source of the funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56362/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Local Government Efficiency Review Implementation Group was established on 29 April 2011. The Implementation Group is independently chaired by Mr. Pat McLoughlin (Chief Executive, Irish Payments Services Organisation, and former chairperson of the Local Government Efficiency Review Group). In addition to the Chair, the members of the Implementation Group are as follows:

-Mr. Des Dowling, Assistant Secretary, Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.

-Mr. Garrett Fennell, Managing Director, GFC Consulting Ltd.

-Mr. David Hearn, Consulting Partner in Charge, Deloitte

-Ms. Anne O’Keeffe, Former Director, Office of Local Authority Management.

The terms of reference are: the Group will consider and report periodically to the Minister in relation to the following matters:

-The prioritisation of those recommendations of the Local Government Efficiency Review Report that will yield the earliest and greatest financial gains;

-Action planning in the local government sector and updates on progress in relation to prioritised recommendations;

-Further measures, where necessary, to achieve implementation and/or enhance efficiency; and,

-The delivery of services in the most efficient and cost effective manner.

In carrying out its work the Group will:

-Engage as it considers necessary with local authority stakeholders, including representative associations for councillors and managers, to further refine the approach to implementation of efficiency measures;

-Take account of the work already underway through various fora in the implementation of recommendations and Government policies on local government reform and the current state of the public and local government finances generally and The Transforming Public Services Programme and the Public Services Agreement 2010 – 2014; and,

-Make regular reports to the Minister with its initial report to be made within six months.

The Minister may from time to time provide further advice or direction to the Group in carrying out its work. The Group held meetings on 2 June 2011, 28 June 2011, 9 September 2011, 17 October 2011, 23 November 2011, 12 December 2011, 11 January 2012, 26 January 2012, 31 January 2012, 21 February 2012, 7th March 2012, 18 April 2012, 12 June 2012, 24 July 2012, 10 September 2012, 2 October 2012, 8 November 2012 and 10 December 2012. The members of the Group are working on a pro bono basis (except for reasonable travel and subsistence expenses). Members, however, have not submitted any travel and subsistence claims in respect of work on this Group.