Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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232. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to lift the embargo of staff recruitment for City of Dublin Education and Training Board training centres allowing them to function again at a higher level and with better value for money (details supplied). [32747/17]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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A Delegated Sanction Agreement (DSA) is in place between the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and my department. The DSA, which will run until the end of this year, replaces the Employment Control Framework (ECF) and associated moratoriums and is subject to periodic review by both departments.

Compliance with the DSA requires adherence by my Department to binding overall  three-year pay ceilings and to ongoing compliance with workforce planning requirements.  ETBs are required to seek sanction from my Department for the filling of vacancies and these are considered on a case by case basis.

Having regard to the pay ceilings allocated to my Department for 2017 as part of the budgetary process, my department is required to maintain its focus on ongoing reform of the sector including the realisation of efficiency measures across the sector and the reallocation or reorganisation of work.  In December 2016, my Department communicated with each ETB regarding these arrangements.