Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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168. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the shortage of staff in the ERAD division of the regional office in Raphoe, County Donegal; if his attention has been further drawn to the knock-on impact of these staff shortages to farmers awaiting co-operation from his Department with a range of applications and financial supports; and if these vacant positions will be filled as soon as possible. [22504/21]

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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169. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of staff positions that are currently vacant in the regional office of his Department in Raphoe, County Donegal; and the plans to have these positions filled. [22505/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 168 and 169 together.

The Department is committed to ensuring that a highly skilled and motivated workforce is in place to meet business needs and uses workforce planning to identify and assess these needs for all locations. Recruitment is ongoing in the Department at present, and posts continue to be advertised either by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) or by my Department's Human Resources Division. I am acutely aware of the need for farmers to be able to avail of prompt and efficient services and all critical staffing vacancies are filled as soon as possible upon candidates becoming available.

Currently the Department’s office in Raphoe has a total of five vacancies, and work is actively ongoing to address these.