Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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261. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if there are recruitment embargoes applying to local authorities, for example, Dublin City Council, if they wish to recruit additional dog wardens or litter wardens, for example; if they are free to do so or if all local authority recruitment is embargoed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26547/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. My Department works closely with Dublin City Council in relation to the Council’s overall staffing requirements. The Council’s staffing requests are examined 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 issues are given precedence.

The moratorium on recruitment and the Employment Control Framework for the Public Service has been lifted but recruitment will be subject to adherence to binding 3 year pay ceilings. Staffing resources must be managed within these overall ceilings. Detailed arrangements in terms of the local authority sector are currently being worked out between my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.