George Lawlor (Wexford, Labour)
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850. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of vacancies which arose at principal officer level for the years 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025 in his Department and agencies under the aegis of his Department; the number of these vacancies filled between internal and external methods; the number of vacancies each year at principal officer level filled by mobility; the number of internal competitions for principal officer grade run by his Department since 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63017/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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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 for all our locations. My Department continues to fill posts through a number of mechanisms, namely the Civil Service Mobility Scheme in addition to advertisements by either Public Jobs or by my Department’s Human Resources Division. 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 across the Department.

The table below identifies the number of Principal Officer vacancies which arose in each of the years 2022 to date in 2025. There were a total number of 25 Principal Officer vacancies within the period identified.

The information requested by the Deputy regarding agencies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for the public bodies themselves. I have referred this query to the bodies under the aegis of my Department for direct reply.