Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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1068. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason his Department ran new technical agricultural officer competitions in 2024, when there were existing candidates on the 2023 panel who had not been offered a position; and whether, when a new competition is launched in this way, candidates who have previously been placed on a panel receive consideration. [46182/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My 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 across all our locations.

Recruitment is currently underway in the Department and posts continue to be filled through several mechanisms, including advertisements by Public Jobs and by my Department’s Human Resources Division.

A TAO competition was undertaken by Public Jobs in 2023 on behalf of the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) and a nationwide panel was formed from this competition.

In line with business needs, my Department’s HR team continue to engage with Public Jobs to offer opportunities to candidates remaining on panels from the 2023 competition.

Additionally, my Department engaged with our colleagues in Public Jobs to identify locations where there may not be sufficient successful candidates to meet the anticipated vacancies over the lifetime of the 2023 panel.

DAFM subsequently undertook an additional TAO competition in order to address any such anticipated shortfall in candidate availability in a number of locations, mitigating against potential delays to filling posts in locations where candidates were not available from the 2023 panel.

When a new competition is launched, it is open to all interested candidates to apply.

I am confident that my Department adheres to the principles of fairness, equality and transparency in their recruitment processes.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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1069. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of civil servants in his Department, and in agencies under the aegis of his 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 his Department and in agencies under the aegis of his 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 he will make a statement on the matter. [46184/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I am satisfied that my Department properly implements the provisions of Circular 4/2013 in respect of staff returning from career breaks. Staff returning from career breaks are included in workforce planning considerations with a view to filling any appropriate existing or forthcoming vacancies in my Department. The Department has reassigned any staff returning from career breaks during this period without any undue delays. Any extensions to career breaks granted were requested by staff members.

The information requested in respect of staff on career breaks in 2023 and 2024 is set out in tabular form below.

Staff who commenced Career break prior to 2023 but who were still on career break in 2023/2024:

Staff who commenced Career break in 2023/2024 by month, grade and career break length:

There are no officers in my Department who fall within the parameters of being on a career break for longer than five and six years in 2023 and 2024.

I am satisfied that my Department properly implements the provisions of Circular 4/2013 in respect of staff returning from career breaks. Staff returning from career breaks are included in workforce planning considerations with a view to filling any appropriate existing or forthcoming vacancies in my Department. The Department has reassigned any staff returning from career breaks during this period without any undue delays. Any extensions to career breaks granted were requested by staff members.

The information requested in respect of staff on career breaks in 2023 and 2024 is set out in tabular form below.

Staff who commenced Career break prior to 2023 but who were still on career break in 2023/2024:

Staff who commenced Career break in 2023/2024 by month, grade and career break length:

There are no officers in my Department who fall within the parameters of being on a career break for longer than five and six years in 2023 and 2024.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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1070. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of vacancies, by month and by grade, in his Department, and in agencies under the aegis of his Department, in 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46202/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is committed to ensuring that a skilled and motivated workforce is in place to meet its priority business needs. Workforce planning processes are utilised to identify our requirements across all our grade streams and locations, aiming to ensure a long-term, proactive and strategic plan by which current and future staffing needs are addressed.

As business needs arise, staff are allocated to support organisational priorities within my Department. Overall staffing levels and required skills are monitored to ensure business needs are met. Requirements are continually addressed in order to minimise the duration for which a post remains vacant. Our records do not readily lend themselves to retrospectively identifying the number of vacancies on a specific historic date. Consequently, the number of vacancies broken down by month and grade as existed in 2023 and 2024 is not available.

Vacancies within State Agencies under the aegis of my Department are an operational matter for the Agencies themselves and I will ask the Agencies to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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1071. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine 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, 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, consideration has been given to facilitating them on a supernumerary basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46220/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is committed to providing a work-life balance and flexibility to its staff, including by considering applications from eligible individuals under the Career Break Scheme in the Civil Service.

It is also committed to ensuring that a skilled and motivated workforce is in place to meet its priority business needs. Workforce planning processes are utilised to identify our requirements across all our grade streams and locations, aiming to ensure a long-term, proactive and strategic plan by which current and future staffing needs are addressed.

In addressing the filling of vacancies within my Department, consideration is given on a continual basis to upcoming career break returns, to identify potentially suitable posts. My Department recognises the importance of supporting our colleagues in their return to the workforce and aims to facilitate such returns with minimum delay.

In relation to staff in my Department on career break, there are currently no officers on record whose career break has been extended beyond five years on account of there being no suitable vacancy in the Department.