Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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346. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if consideration has been given to a proposal submitted to his Department by Teagasc for the recruitment of 20 extra adviser posts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11527/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The announcement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in Budget 2014 in relation to delegated sanction for staffing arrangements provides greater discretion to Government Departments and State agencies over staffing levels within an overall pay framework. In this regard, Government Departments are first required to submit a 2015 Pay and Staff Numbers Strategy to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for approval. The purpose of the Strategy is to ensure a consistent approach is taken across Departments and agencies to managing the pay bill and staff numbers and to ensure that expenditure is managed in line with Departmental and Agency budgets.

My Department has submitted its Pay and Staff Numbers Strategy to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for consideration in respect of the state bodies that operate under the aegis of the Department including Teagasc. It is expected that delegated sanction arrangements will be finalised shortly and will provide some flexibility to fill critical posts within agreed pay ceilings.

Until such time as a delegated sanction is issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the existing Moratorium and ECF arrangements continue to apply.