Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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139. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of civil servants in his Department who have requested a transfer to a location outside County Dublin; the number of civil servants in his Department who have requested a transfer from a location outside of Dublin to County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31778/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I wish to inform the Deputy that there are a number of  ways for staff to apply for a transfer.

Staff can apply directly to the Department/Office they wish to move to or apply for a "Head to Head" transfer via their Union Magazine. My Department would not initially be aware of such applications made by a member of staff through their Union Magazine.

In relation to the Deputy's question, in 2015, three staff based in Dublin applied to be transferred to my Department's Tullamore Office.  Of the three, one staff member has since transferred to my Department's Office in Tullamore and another member of staff transferred to the D/PER Payroll Shared Services Centre in Tullamore.

Also in 2015, two staff based in my Department's Tullamore Office applied to be transferred to the Department's Office in Dublin. Of the two, one staff member has since transferred to the D/PER Payroll Shared Services Centre in Tullamore.

There were no applications for transfer from staff in 2016 and 2017 to a location outside County Dublin or from a location outside of Dublin into County Dublin.

I also wish to advise the Deputy that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform conducted a pilot of a Service Wide Mobility Scheme in a limited number of locations earlier this year. It is hoped that Phase 1 of the Scheme will be launched some time in Q3 2017. My Department will then be aware of any transfer applications made through that forum for staff at Executive Officer and Clerical Officer level.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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140. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the grades of persons working in the national shared services office; if these posts are permanent; if positions become vacant, if the persons will be replaced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30883/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The National Shared Services Office (NSSO) is established on an administrative basis within my Department. In the conduct of its business the NSSO employs staff at the following grades:

- Deputy Secretary

- Assistant Secretary

- Principal Officer

- Assistant Principal Officer

- Higher Executive Officer

- Executive Officer

- Clerical Officer

All of the above posts are permanent posts and positions are filled when they become vacant in line with business requirements and expenditure management guidelines. Recruitment to these posts is governed by the Public Service (Management and Recruitment) Act 2004. Under the Act, the method of appointment to a permanent Civil Service post is as a result of being successful in a competition run by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) or by another licence holder such as the head of a Department or Office. Selection processes are open to all eligible applicants who meet minimum entry criteria. 

The NSSO also employs staff at Temporary Clerical Officer level. These posts are temporary and while in the main, vacancies in the Civil service are filled on a permanent basis, temporary vacancies arise from time to time to cover such absences as maternity leave or shorter working year. Temporary Clerical Officer (TCO) positions in the Civil Service are filled by an annual competition conducted by the PAS.

Decisions on the filling of posts, permanent or otherwise, in other public service bodies are a matter for the employing bodies in the context of their business needs.