asked the Minister for the Environment the proposals, if any, he has for increasing local authority staff throughout the country; and if these staff increase will, in the interests of impartiality, be made through the Local Appointments Commission and not by any direct ministerial intervention.
Written Answers. - Local Authority Staff Appointments.
360.
It is a matter for each local authority in the first instance to determine the numbers and levels of staff required to discharge their functions. I am involved in this process only to the extent to which my sanction is required to the creation of certain permanent offices. Permanent appointments of officers to the staff of local authorities are made following competitions open to all eligible candidates, conducted by the Local Appointments Commissioners in the case of professional and certain senior administrative appointments, and in other cases by the local authority itself.
As regards employees other than officers, the 1978 financial allocations for the various programmes of local authorities will result in the creation of additional employment by them. Some of this employment will be afforded by contractors engaged by the local authorities; some by the local authorities themselves. It would not be appropriate to have such recruitment effected through the Local Appointments Commission.
In general the recruitment of employees other than officers is a matter for the local authorities themselves. However, in the case of the environmental improvement schemes, local authorities will be required to recruit through the National Manpower Service, giving specific priority to young people. In the case of other schemes, such as roads, local authorities are requested to recruit through the local employment exchange.
In Dublin employees are taken on in accordance with a long-standing agreement between the corporation and the unions representing general labourers.