Written answers
Tuesday, 21 November 2023
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Departmental Staff
Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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393. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current position in relation to a panel for an area (details supplied); when this panel was formed; the number of persons on this panel currently; the number who have been taken off this panel since 2019; when they expect more people to be taken from this panel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50661/23]
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Department is committed to ensuring that a skilled and motivated workforce is in place to meet its priority business needs. To achieve this, workforce planning is utilised in identifying and addressing the needs for all our locations. Recruitment is currently underway in the Department and posts continue to be filled through a number of mechanisms, namely the Civil Service Mobility Scheme in addition to advertisements by either the Public Appointments Service (PAS) or by my Department’s Human Resources Division. I remain acutely conscious of the need for farmers to avail of prompt and efficient services. To support this, all critical staffing vacancies are filled as soon as possible when suitable candidates become available, taking into account the balance of needs and resources across the Department.
The table below provides further details related to the specific information requested. Where panels have been created through PAS, my Department would not hold all requested information relating to when such panels were formed or how many candidates remain available on the panels. In such instances, the Deputy may wish to seek further details from PAS directly.
Panel Type | Date Panel was formed | Number of candidates currently available on Panel (16/11/23) | Number of candidates assigned to DAFM Castlebar through this mechanism since 01/01/2019 | Comments re expected assignments to DAFM Castlebar through this mechanism |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Service Mobility Clerical Officer | Civil Service (CS) Mobility (CO) launched over 2018/2019 | 53 on CS mobility panel * | 2019 – 2021 – 0 assignments 2022 - 1 assignment 2023 - 2 assignment 2023 - 1 assignment (Claremorris) | One candidate is currently under offer through this process. It is envisaged that the current vacancy can be filled through this mechanism |
| PAS Clerical Officer | Information not held in DAFM | Information not held in DAFM | 2019 - no assignment 2020 - 6 assignments2021 - 5 assignments2022 - 0 assignments2023 - 0 assignments | As vacancies arise at this grade, all means to fill the role are considered in line with DPENDR sequencing arrangements. |
| Civil Service Mobility Executive Officer | CS Mobility (EO) launched over 2018/2019 | 59 on CS mobility panel * | 0 assignments | As vacancies arise at this grade, all means to fill the role are considered in line with DPENDR sequencing arrangements. |
| PAS Executive Officer | Information not held in DAFM | Information not held in DAFM | 2019 - 0 assignments2020 - 1 assignment2021 – 1 assignment2022 - 0 assignments2023 – 0 assignments | As vacancies arise at this grade, all means to fill the role are considered in line with DPENDR sequencing arrangements. |
| DAFM Executive Officer Competition | Competition underway | 0 assignments | Successful candidates will be invited to indicate location preferences | |
| Civil Service Mobility Higher Executive Officer | CS Mobility (HEO) offer stage went live on 8 June 2021 (list based went live 16 July 2021) | 30 on cs mobility panel * | 2023 - 1 assignment | As vacancies arise at this grade, all means to fill the role are considered in line with DPENDR sequencing arrangements. |
| PAS Higher Executive Officer | Information not held in DAFM | Information not held in DAFM | 0 assignments | As vacancies arise at this grade, all means to fill the role are considered in line with DPER sequencing arrangements |
| DAFM Higher Executive Officer Competition | Competition ongoing | 0 | O assignments | Successful candidates will be invited to indicate location preferences |
| Temporary Transfer Clerical Officer Portal Inspector | 2019 | N/A | 2019 – 1 assigned on 11 months redeployment | |
| PAS Assistant Agricultural Inspector (AAI) | Competition currently active | Competition currently underway. No order of merit currently available within DAFM | 2019 - 0 assignments2020 - 1 assignment2021 - 0 assignments2022 - 1 assignment2023 - 0 assignment | As vacancies arise at this grade, internal transfer requests and competition panels are considered in filling the post. |
| Internal transfer within DAFM AAI | Ongoing expression of interest | 4 | 2023 – 1 assignment | As vacancies arise at this grade, expressions of interest for transfer are considered in addition to assignment from competition order of merit. |
| PAS Technical Agricultural Officer (TAO) | Information not held in DAFM | 3 Candidates remain on 2023 TAO Panel following 2 rounds of interviews. Further information on 2023 TAO candidates is not held in DAFM. | 2019 - 0 assignments2020 - 0 assignment2021 - 0 assignments2022 - 0 assignments2023 - 2 assignments | 2 more TAOs expected to start by end of year/ early 2024. As vacancies arise at this grade, all means to fill the role are considered in line with the technical transfer agreement. |
| TAO Transfers | N/A | Operates by expression of interest. | 2019 - 2 assignments2020 - 1 assignment2021 - 2 assignments2022 - 2 assignments2023 – 2 assignments | 2 more TAOs waiting to transfer to Castlebar by end of year / early 2024.As vacancies arise in this grade they are offered to serving officers in the grade before being offered to officers on the promotional panel. |
| Supervisory Agricultural Officer Transfers** | Operates by expression of interest. | 2020 – 1 assignment | As vacancies arise in this grade they are offered to serving officers in the grade before being offered to officers on the promotional panel. | |
| District Superintendent Transfers** | Operates by expression of interest. | 2020 – 1 assignment2021 – 1 assignments2023 – 1 assignments | As vacancies arise in this grade they are offered to serving officers in the grade before being offered to officers on the promotional panel. | |
| Veterinary Inspector appointment | Information not held in DAFM | Information not held in DAFM | 0 | As vacancies arise in this grade they are offered to serving officers in the grade before being offered to officers on an external panel. |
| Veterinary Inspector Transfers | Operates by expression of interest. | 2021 – 1 assignment | As vacancies arise in this grade they are offered to serving officers in the grade before being offered to officers on an external panel. | |
| Senior Veterinary Inspector Transfers** | Operates by expression of interest. | 2020 – 1 assignment | As vacancies arise in this grade they are offered to serving officers in the grade before being offered to officers on the promotional panel. |
*applicants under CS Mobility opt into selection for posts in both Castlebar and Claremorris
** All Castlebar vacancies in these grades since 2019 have been filled by Officers transferring from other parts of DAFM. No specific Castlebar promotional panel exists but if a vacancy occurs that isn’t filled by a transfer it will be offered to a national panel through expression of interest.
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