Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

160. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding staff who were redeployed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36953/15]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

177. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding staff from his Department who were compulsorily redeployed to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36954/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 160 and 177 together.

My Department has made every effort to source opportunities for the concerned staff in the Tralee area both prior to the redeployment and following the appeal process and the subsequent Labour Relations Commission understanding.

By way of background, my Department, in line with Government policy, engaged in a very focused and driven policy over recent years aimed at managing our schemes, programmes and services in a more efficient and cost effective manner while maintaining and enhancing the level of service we provide to citizens and stakeholders. The reconfiguration of structures concluded that the administrative support in my Department’s local office network could be provided from one or two centralised ‘back office’ locations which would give rise to significant savings. Throughout this reform process, my Department actively sought redeployment opportunities for administrative staff in location and in the vast majority of redeployment cases we succeeded in making arrangements to maintain staff in situ. In the case of our Tralee staff, the only redeployment opportunity available arose in the Payroll Shared Services Centre in Killarney and staff were redeployed in line with the terms of the Public Service Agreements. My Department currently has no vacancies in administrative roles in our Tralee office.

Government Departments and Public Service Organisations in the Tralee area have been advised of the terms of the Labour Relations Commission Understanding; it is a matter for those Departments and Organisations to determine if and when any vacancies should be filled.

My Department is currently evaluating options for the concerned staff who may wish to exit the Civil Service as provided for in the Labour Relations Commission Understanding and intends to revert to the Labour Relations Commission shortly with recommendations. As the concerned staff are no longer employed in my Department, consultation will have to take place with their current Departments on any possible options.