Vol. 524 No. 3
120 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the number of vacancies for each Civil Service grade in his Department; the additional steps he will take to attract and keep staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22607/00]
Details of the vacancies are set out in the following schedule. Some 300 of these are posts which were sanctioned earlier this year for new or additional work on information technology systems, cattle movement monitoring, REPS, slaughter and other work.
All entry vacancies in this Department are normally filled through the Civil Service Commission and my Department continuously liaises with that organisation to ensure that it is fully appraised of our vacancies and of our priority needs. The filling of posts through an open competitive system is by its nature a slow process.
Clerical vacancies at provincial locations are filled from a service-wide transfer list and this can create some delay in filling posts as other Departments have to await the filling of posts before they can release officers who are on the transfer list.
I am aware of the importance of attracting and maintaining good staff and keeping them. In terms of pay we must adhere to service-wide policies. My Department has participated in recruitment fairs and is in regular contact with the Department of Finance and the Civil Service Commission to encourage initiatives in this area such as family-friendly policies and direct recruitment.
Schedule
|
Position |
Vacancies |
|
Clerical Officer |
115 |
|
Staff Officer |
9 |
|
Executive Officer |
32 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
23 |
|
Assistant Principal |
1 |
|
Position |
Vacancies |
|
Assistant Agricultural Inspectors |
28 |
|
Agricultural Inspectors |
3 |
|
Senior Inspector |
1 |
|
Dairy Laboratory Assistant |
2 |
|
Head of Legal Unit |
1 |
|
Laboratory Attendant |
1 |
|
Laboratory Technician |
9 |
|
Cleaner |
2 |
|
Research Officer |
2 |
|
Seed Analyst |
1 |
|
Senior Laboratory Technician |
1 |
|
Serological Assistant |
4 |
|
Veterinary Inspector |
11 |
|
Technical Agricultural Officer |
124 |
|
Supervisory Agricultural Officer |
22 |
|
District Superintendent |
13 |
|
Area Superintendent |
2 |
