Written answers

Wednesday, 22 January 2025

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Departmental Staff

Photo of Michael FitzmauriceMichael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

839. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of civil servants in her Department, and in agencies under the aegis of her Department, who were on career break in 2023 or 2024, by month and grade, and by length of career break; the number of civil servants in her Department and in agencies under the aegis of her Department who were on career break for longer than five years or longer than six years in 2023 or 2024, by month, grade, and length of career break, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46198/24]

Photo of Michael FitzmauriceMichael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

840. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of vacancies, by month and by grade, in her Department, and in agencies under the aegis of her Department, in 2023 and 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46216/24]

Photo of Michael FitzmauriceMichael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

841. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to provide an assurance that no civil servant has had their career break extended beyond five years where there is a suitable vacancy in their home Department or agency; to provide an assurance that, where a civil servant has had their career break extended beyond five years on account of there being no suitable vacancy in their home Department or agency, that they have been placed on a redeployment panel; to provide an assurance that, where a civil servant has had their career break extended beyond six years, that consideration has been given to facilitating them on a supernumerary basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46234/24]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 839, 840 and 841 together.

I can assure the Deputy that where any request received in my Department via the National Shared Services Office (NSSO) from a staff member requesting to return from career break, contact is made with the candidate and an offer is made within the 12-month period after expiry of the career break, in all cases. No officer has been placed on the redeployment panel and there has been no necessity to facilitate an officer on a supernumerary basis.

Figures regarding the numbers of staff on career break by grade and month are tabulated below:

2023 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
PO/AP 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3
HEO 11 11 11 11 12 12 11 11 11 10 10 10
AO 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4
EO 19 20 20 20 20 20 20 21 23 26 26 26
CO/SVO 42 42 42 44 46 47 47 48 48 49 48 48
TOTAL 77 80 80 82 85 86 85 87 90 93 92 91
2024 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
PO/AP 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3
HEO 12 12 12 12 12 13 13 14 15 14 13 13
AO 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 5
EO 28 29 29 29 29 29 30 29 29 29 31 31
CO/SVO 51 50 49 50 49 48 49 49 52 51 52 52
Total 98 97 96 99 98 98 100 100 104 102 104 104

To protect individual privacy and prevent inadvertent identification, grades with very low numbers have been merged.

Figures regarding the numbers of vacancies by grade at end of 2023/2024 are tabulated below:

Vacancies by grade at end December 2023

Grade Total
AO 3
AO specialist 6
AP 12
CO 157
EO 138
HEO 149
Grand Total 465

Vacancies by grade at end December 2024

Grade Total
AO 2
AO Specialist 10
AP 31
CO 166
EO 114
HEO 147
TBC 2
Grand Total 472

The information requested by the Deputy regarding a breakdown of the career break data by length of individual career break, and a breakdown of the vacancy data by month, cannot be provided within the time available as it would require a disproportionate amount of time and resources to compile.

The volume of relevant data involved and the level of detail requested would necessitate an extensive manual review of records, which is not feasible within this timeline.

However, if the Deputy wishes to refine or narrow the scope of the question(s), we would be happy to provide a more focused response that addresses specific aspects of the query.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.