Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)
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771. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the employment control framework for higher education for the period 2010 to 2014 remains in force; the conditions governing it and how these were agreed; when it will lapse; if higher education institutions are required to continue to adhere to the senior-junior staff ratios as per the framework; the procedures available to deviate from these; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46836/15]

Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)
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772. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she or other bodies have the power to impose sanctions on higher education institutions that breach the agreement for the period 2010 to 2014; what those sanctions are; if they have been levied, on whom, and in what amount and nature; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46837/15]

Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)
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773. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the employment control framework for higher education for the period 2010 to 2014 required only maintenance of ratios between lecturer and professorial staff for academic staff and those below that level, and for those above €70,000 salary for others, or if it also mandated, as some higher education institutions have interpreted, that the framework also required maintenance of ratios within these broad categories; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46838/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 771 to 773 together.

Since the introduction of the moratorium on public sector recruitment, an Employment Control Framework (ECF) has been in place for the higher education sector which provides institutions with considerable flexibility to fill vacancies, through recruitment or promotions on the basis of meeting an overall ceiling of posts. The current ECF, agreed for the period 2010 to 2014, remains in place. It should be noted that the higher education sector has met, and indeed exceeded, all the required reductions in core funded posts since the introduction of the ECF.

In Budget 2015, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform announced that the existing ECFs and associated moratoriums would be lifted and replaced with a system of delegated sanction for recruiting and promoting up to Principal Officer level, subject to adherence by Departments to binding 3 year pay ceilings and ongoing compliance with Workforce Planning requirements. In light of this announcement a new ECF for the higher education sector will be put in place shortly.

In line with Government policy, any requests for exceptions to the Moratorium that are not covered by the ECF must be sanctioned by my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform prior to the awarding or renewal of the employment contract.

A condition of the current Framework is that the reductions in the number of core staff should be achieved in a balanced manner across the grading structure and should not be concentrated at the lower grade levels, i.e. the framework should not result in 'grade-drift' within institutions. Promotions are permitted under the ECF subject to compliance with the Framework and to the maintenance of appropriate balance between grades, both academic and administrative/professional/technical.