Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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47. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the total number of additional staff provided to each local authority housing department in 2015 and 2016, broken down by salary grade and function; and if he will provide a similar breakdown of all pending requests for local authority housing departments. [28711/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Since 1 January 2015, my Department has received 518 housing staff sanction requests from Local Authorities, of which 502 posts have been approved, and 16 posts are pending. The status of these requests is set out in the link below. Posts marked pending are, in general, awaiting supporting information prior to an informed decision being taken.

Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. In this regard, following the sanction for staff by my Department, their recruitment and assignment is a matter for each individual Chief Executive.

Salary scales are set in accordance with central pay policy covering all Public Servants. The placing of an individual employee on the salary scale is a matter for the Chief Executive, based on the experience of the individual, but must be in line with Government Pay Policy.