Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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59. To ask the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 284 of 17 September 2014, the number of the 66 new appointments at the National Asset Management Agency in 2014 advertised on the National Treasury Management Agency candidate manager; if he has concerns that vacancies at NAMA are not being openly advertised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40522/14]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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60. To ask the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 284 of 17 September 2014, the total cost to the National Asset Management Agency of recruiting 66 new staff in 2014; the total paid by NAMA or the National Treasury Management Agency to recruitment companies; the total paid by NAMA or NTMA for advertising; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40523/14]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 60 together.

Resourcing requirements within NAMA are continually reviewed by the NAMA Board and headcount requirements are approved on the basis of business needs. This includes the need to deliver on a demanding strategic plan which involves acceleration of asset disposals and the redemption of 80% of its senior debt by end 2016. Combined with this, NAMA is committed to delivering 4,500 residential units by 2016 in the Dublin area and also delivering Grade A commercial office space in the Dublin Docklands Strategic Development Zone.  The 66 new appointments to NAMA during 2014 reflect these strategic objectives and the need to fill existing positions due to increased turnover of NAMA staff during this year.

All NAMA staff are employees of the NTMA under Section 42 of the National Asset Management Agency Act, 2009 and the NTMA assigns staff to NAMA. On that basis, recruitment is conducted by the NTMA.  Vacancies in NAMA are openly advertised via the NTMA website. It is the case that a role may be advertised via the NTMA website and subsequent vacancies for similar positions may be filled from that competition rather than re-advertising. Of the 66 positions filled in NAMA, 63 were advertised on the NTMA website and 3 were filled by staff who moved to specified purpose or fixed term contracts.

Given improved market conditions, certain of these roles have been difficult to fill and the NTMA has had to incur agency fees in order to fill these roles. €291,625 has been paid to recruitment agencies in this respect so far in 2014.