Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Independent)
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113. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will be employing any more engineering staff or any other staff in the near future in the Office of Public Works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45271/13]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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All recruitment undertaken by the Office of Public Works is governed by the necessity to remain within the staffing limits directed by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform through the Employment Control Framework (ECF), together with level of funding made available to meet payroll costs. Recruitment of additional permanent staff is subject to the sanction provided via that Department.

In relation to Established staff, the Office of Public Works (OPW), through the Public Appointments Service, is currently in the process of filling the post of Engineer Grade II (Fire & Security) and also recently advertised for the post of Director of the Botanic Gardens.

In relation to our State Industrial staff, there are no plans to recruit permanent staff in the near future. However, as occurs annually, it is intended to recruit the 2014 seasonal complement of staff in due course, principally to meet the demands of arterial drainage maintenance work and to augment guide staff at our heritage sites and/or visitor centres. These are advertised to the public.

The Office also has a training programme for the Graduate Engineers which assists them in attaining the skills and learning required to become Chartered Engineers. The programme involves taking in 10 graduates per year over a rolling 3-year cycle, up to a maximum of 30 graduates. A competition to place a further 10 Graduates is nearing completion and the successful candidates will be placed in January, 2014 which will bring the total placed to 30.

While not in a position to offer further employment opportunities, the Office is committed to partaking in the JobBridge programme and has recently offered 7 further placements on a 9 month work experience placement bringing the total such placements since 2011 to 54.