Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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472. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views on a newspaper article (details supplied) providing clarification in relation to the appointment of new fire officers to Dublin City Fire Brigade; the number of vacancies currently available; the way these vacancies are being advertised; the selection process that is being carried out; and the reason this process is not open to external applicants. [25380/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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My Department operates a delegated sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for implementation of the moratorium in relation to local authorities. Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each City and County Manager is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements in each Council. It is a matter for City and County Managers, in the first instance, to ensure that the moratorium is implemented while the appropriate service levels are maintained.

Where a local authority identifies a critical post that it cannot fill by way of re-organisation or re-assignment it may revert to my Department seeking sanction to fill the post. My Department examines all staffing sanction requests on a case by case basis having due regard to the continued delivery of key services in the context of staffing and budgetary constraints. In considering sanction requests public safety, maintaining key front line services and economic considerations are given precedence.

In relation to the specific posts referenced in the question Dublin City Council propose to fill some existing fire-fighter vacancies on a cost neutral basis from within the existing staff cohort of Dublin local authorities. All successful applicants will have to meet the usual standards and selection criteria applied in the recruitment of fire-fighters and will have to complete the necessary training.

I understand that the assessment of staffing need and the proposed recruitment procedures were discussed and agreed with trade unions. Furthermore, the recruitment will facilitate the implementation of savings measures as part of a comprehensive agreement reached between Dublin City Council and unions under the Croke Park agreement. This element of the agreement is expected to produce savings of some €900,000.

A further recruitment process, that will be open to external candidates, is also proposed by Dublin City Council. Under the proposals, successful applicants would be deployed initially as Emergency Services Control Room Operators, and would then progress to become fire-fighters over a period of time subject to satisfying the usual standards and selection criteria.

The necessary sanctions have been granted by my Department and the recruitment is now a matter for Dublin City Council.