Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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580.To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of vacancies at IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland; the duration of such vacancies; and to outline the challenges for filling such posts. [32920/24]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Both IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland have highly skilled and highly motivated workforces who are dedicated to ensuring that Ireland has a successful enterprise base which competes globally. Vacancies will arise for a variety of reasons including retirements. I am advised that the current number of vacancies in Enterprise Ireland, in Ireland and across their global network, is 94.5 (Full-Time Equivalents). All vacancies are at varying stages in the recruitment process. This vacancy figure includes some posts where candidates have been identified and are expected to commence in the coming weeks. Most of these vacancies are progressing without challenges.

I am further advised that IDA Ireland currently has 30 vacancies across the organisation. Vacancies may remain open for more than 6 months. The minimum time required for advertising and filling a role internally is 2-3 months and if no suitable internal candidate is identified, the agency must seek external candidates, extending the time frame to 6 months or more if the initial recruitment process is not successful.

The key challenges facing both EI and IDA in filling some roles are set out below:

• Some of roles are very specialist in nature and there is a scarcity of available resources in the market.
• The overall compensation and benefits package is sometimes not competitive which can result in low application numbers or successful candidates not accepting the offer of the role. It is particularly difficult to source suitable candidates at Technical Levels and Level B respectively due to the starting salaries for such grades.
• There is also the complexity of salaries for local hires overseas needing to be competitive in that market and this can present challenges in certain markets.