Vol. 519 No. 7
20 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if it is his policy to abolish the post of city or county planning officer in the Dublin and Cork local authorities and replace the post by a director of services in view of the fact that planning and development is a position which does not require a professional qualification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14755/00]
51 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he intends to abolish the posts of city and county engineer, city and county architect and city and county planner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14751/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 51 together.
Proposals are being finalised for the creation of strengthened local authority management structures to meet the demands of the introduction of a programme based system of administration and the abolition of the dual structure. Under these proposals the posts of assistant county manager and county engineer will cease to exist. A new grade of director of services will be created at assistant county manager level and a number of these new posts will be filled by designation of the serving assistant managers and county engineers as directors of services. Each director of services will have responsibility for the management of all of the staff, both technical and administrative, dealing with the functions assigned to him or her.
The position in relation to all other posts will be a matter for consideration by individual managers in consultation with their own staff during local discussions on the implementation of the new structures. However, I understand that proposals currently under discussion in the Dublin counties and Cork city involve the suppression of the county and city planning officer posts in favour of the creation of director of services posts with the wider management remit. I understand that no change is proposed in relation to architect posts.
