Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

253. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of full-time and part-time staff hired on a Department-wide basis and in each State agency under her auspices since 1 January 2017; the number of these staff who were recruited specifically to work on Brexit related issues on a Department-wide basis and in each State agency under her auspices, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15992/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Staffing levels of my Department, its Offices and Agencies reflect the requirement to manage the pay bill and staff numbers in accordance with Government pay policy with staff resources deployed in the most effective and efficient manner as appropriate to business needs and key priorities at any given time.

An additional €3million was secured in respect of Pay in Budget 2017 and is being targeted specifically to assist in our response to the evolving Brexit scenario. It is enabling the Department and, primarily, our Agencies recruit some 40 to 50 additional staff to supplement existing staffing numbers.  These numbers may grow as Agencies allocate additional Own Resource Income, by agreement with the Department, to recruit further staff to work on "Brexit-related" activity.  

The additional €3m has been allocated across

- Enterprise Ireland

- IDA Ireland

- Science Foundation Ireland

- The Health and Safety Authority, and

- The Department itself (€250,000)

The Department as a whole (currently 854 staff or 805 Full-Time Equivalents) has prioritised the Brexit challenges in its work plans for 2017 across all its Divisions.  Brexit Unit staffing has been set at a team of 4 staff for now as follows: 1 Principal, 1 Assistant Principal, 1 Higher Executive Officer and 1 Clerical Officer.  In addition, the work of very many Business Units across the Department is impacted by Brexit.  These Units have finalised their business plans for 2017 and the impact of Brexit for their work has been fully factored in.  In addition, a workforce planning process spanning the years 2017-19 has recently been concluded. This process was coordinated by my Department's HR Unit and reviewed the level of resources assigned across all Divisions of the Department in relation to our current strategic priorities, and, naturally, responding to Brexit features heavily in the plan. In this regard additional staffing resources will be recruited to support the Brexit Unit and other areas of the Department impacted by Brexit in the immediate period ahead.

In terms of the Agency numbers, additional Brexit resources are being put in place in response to the €2.750m allocated for extra staff. This sum is anticipated to allow for additional Brexit staffing in Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, SFI and the HSA (with a number of specific posts sanctioned and recruitment under way).

In relation to Enterprise Ireland, we have sanctioned an additional 39 posts with EI supplementing the “Brexit” pay allocation with additional Own Resource Income.

IDA Ireland has sought 21 additional staff resources in order that it can meet the jobs and investment targets set out in its Strategy – “Winning Foreign Direct Investment 2015 – 2019” - and to meet the global challenges of 2017 and beyond with Brexit key among the identified challenges.  The Agency also submitted a staff resourcing strategy to the Department in July 2016 which sought sanction for retention of the 35 staff hired on 3-year fixed term contracts under the Winning Abroad Programme.  IDA has also sought to reinstate its Graduate Recruitment Programme on a three year contract basis.  These latter two requests are still under consideration.

Science Foundation Ireland will recruit an additional 2 “Brexit” staff. 

The Health & Safety Authority has identified a need for an additional 2 “Brexit” staff.

In respect of these Agencies - as it is with the Department as a whole - it must also be borne in mind that all these Agencies will have prioritised the Brexit implications arising for them in their individual work plans for 2017 and beyond which serving staff will contribute to as part of their day-to-day work.

Following in tabular format the number of full and part time staff hired within the Department, and Agencies, and the number of these that were recruited specifically to work on Brexit related issues. It should be noted that in some cases, staff were recruited before January to work specifically on Brexit related matters and in other cases recruitment of such staff is currently in progress. It should also be noted that while the Department has not yet recruited additional staff in 2017 to work on Brexit related matters, having established its Brexit Unit in 2016, it has reassigned existing staff into dedicated Brexit roles.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

254. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of full-time and part-time staff hired on a Department-wide basis and in each State agency under her auspices since January 2017 following the confirmation that an additional €3 million has been allocated by her Department to the evolving Brexit scenario to increase resources in 2017, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15993/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Staffing levels of my Department, its Offices and Agencies reflect the requirement to manage the pay bill and staff numbers in accordance with Government pay policy with staff resources deployed in the most effective and efficient manner as appropriate to business needs and key priorities at any given time.

An additional €3million was secured in respect of Pay in Budget 2017 and is being targeted specifically to assist in our response to the evolving Brexit scenario. It is enabling the Department and, primarily, our Agencies recruit some 40 to 50 additional staff to supplement existing staffing numbers.  These numbers may grow as Agencies allocate additional Own Resource Income, by agreement with the Department, to recruit further staff to work on "Brexit-related" activity.  

The additional €3m has been allocated across

- Enterprise Ireland

- IDA Ireland

- Science Foundation Ireland

- The Health and Safety Authority, and

- The Department itself (€250,000)

The Department as a whole (currently 854 staff or 805 Full-Time Equivalents) has prioritised the Brexit challenges in its work plans for 2017 across all its Divisions.  Brexit Unit staffing has been set at a team of 4 staff for now as follows: 1 Principal, 1 Assistant Principal, 1 Higher Executive Officer and 1 Clerical Officer.  In addition, the work of very many Business Units across the Department is impacted by Brexit.  These Units have finalised their business plans for 2017 and the impact of Brexit for their work has been fully factored in.  In addition, a workforce planning process spanning the years 2017-19 has recently been concluded. This process was coordinated by my Department's HR Unit and reviewed the level of resources assigned across all Divisions of the Department in relation to our current strategic priorities, and, naturally, responding to Brexit features heavily in the plan. In this regard additional staffing resources will be recruited to support the Brexit Unit and other areas of the Department impacted by Brexit in the immediate period ahead.

In terms of the Agency numbers, additional Brexit resources are being put in place in response to the €2.750m allocated for extra staff. This sum is anticipated to allow for additional Brexit staffing in Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, SFI and the HSA (with a number of specific posts sanctioned and recruitment under way).

In relation to Enterprise Ireland, we have sanctioned an additional 39 posts with EI supplementing the “Brexit” pay allocation with additional Own Resource Income. 12 of the 39 posts have been filled. The remaining 27 are actively being sourced through recruitment processes.

IDA Ireland has sought 21 additional staff resources in order that it can meet the jobs and investment targets set out in its Strategy – “Winning Foreign Direct Investment 2015 – 2019” - and to meet the global challenges of 2017 and beyond with Brexit key among the identified challenges.  The Agency also submitted a staff resourcing strategy to the Department in July 2016 which sought sanction for retention of the 35 staff hired on 3-year fixed term contracts under the Winning Abroad Programme.  IDA has also sought to reinstate its Graduate Recruitment Programme on a three year contract basis.  These latter two requests are still under consideration.  Currently, IDA has official sanction to recruit 2 additional “Brexit” staff members with sanction for a further 8 under consideration. One of the Brexit staff members has been recruited with the other post close to being finalised.

Science Foundation Ireland will recruit an additional 2 “Brexit” staff.  Currently, serving and newly recruited staff have “Brexit” activity as part of their portfolios.

The Health & Safety Authority has identified a need for an additional 2 “Brexit” staff and is in process with the Department regarding formal approval for the particulars of the posts in question.

Finally, in respect of these Agencies, it must also be borne in mind that all these Agencies will have prioritised the Brexit implications arising for them in their individual work plans for 2017 and beyond which serving staff will contribute to as part of their day-to-day work. In this regard the staffing of these Agencies is set out as follows. 

- EI had 575 staff in 564 Full-Time Equivalent posts before Brexit-specific recruitment of upwards of 39 staff takes effect.

- IDA had 268 staff in 259 Full-Time Equivalent posts before Brexit-specific recruitment of upwards of 21 staff takes effect.

- SFI had 47 staff in 46.5 Full-Time Equivalent posts before Brexit-specific recruitment of 2 additional staff takes effect.

- HSA has 167 staff in 159 Full-Time Equivalent posts before Brexit-specific recruitment of 2 additional staff takes effect.