Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 Jan 2001

Vol. 529 No. 1

Written Answers. - Departmental Staff.

Denis Naughten

Question:

1065 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the total number of civil servants who are currently on the transfer list to other sections of Departments outside Dublin; the locations and numbers involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1995/01]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

I assume the Deputy is referring to the central transfer lists for provincial locations which are maintained by my Department in respect of general Civil Service grades. These lists include staff currently serving in my Department and those in other Government Departments who have expressed an interest in transferring to my Department's offices outside of the Dublin area.

The position on transfers to provincial areas for staff officers and clerical officers is that they are arranged in accordance with the standardised transfer system which has been agreed with the Civil and Public Service Union and which applies to all Government Departments. The agreement provides that applications for transfer are recorded in order of the date of receipt of each application. When vacancies arise they must then be offered in this order. No formal transfer agreement with the relevant unions exists for staff at executive officer level or above and the lists maintained by my Department for those grades may only be regarded as a record of a person's interest in being accommodated with a transfer to a particular location should a suitable opportunity arise.

I propose to provide the Deputy with two separate tables with details of the numbers and grades currently on my Department's transfer lists. This is because the Courts Service has recently established its own transfer lists in respect of staff wishing to transfer to the Circuit and District Court offices around the country.

Table A is used to fill general service grade vacancies in Garda Síochána offices and Probation and Welfare Service offices around the country as well as the Waterford Office of the Land Registry and the Finance division in Killarney.

Table B provides details of those who have applied for a transfer to the Courts Service only.

I should mention that both tables may include persons who, since making their application, have been promoted or left their parent Department for reasons unknown to my own Department.

Table A

County	HEO	EO	SO	CO	Total
Carlow	17	28	13	157	215
Cavan	12	10	8	182	212
Clare	18	48	14	428	508
Cork	35	105	30	186	356
Donegal	8	12	4	235	259
Galway	27	57	17	690	791
Kerry	29	47	15	116	207
Kildare	11	44	23	269	347
Kilkenny	21	43	11	283	358
Laois	18	23	11	249	301
Leitrim	11	11	1	147	170
Limerick	14	76	13	297	400
Longford	20	24	13	358	415
Louth	18	23	10	176	227
Mayo	28	44	14	516	602
Meath	9	17	17	248	291
Monaghan	10	9	7	60	86
Offaly	21	31	7	312	371
R'common	19	31	11	363	424
Sligo	25	19	9	455	508
Tipperary	23	49	21	329	422
Waterford	12	18	12	125	167
Westmeath	27	38	11	398	474
Wexford	25	19	6	185	235
Wicklow	16	15	4	113	148
Total	474	841	302	6,877	8,494

Table B

County	HEO	EO	SO	CO	Total
Carlow	2	–	4	42	48
Cavan	2	–	6	28	36
Clare	2	–	2	29	33
Cork	–	–	–	90	90
Donegal	1	–	–	59	60
Galway	–	2	–	81	83
Kerry	–	–	3	22	25
Kildare	3	–	21	102	126
Kilkenny	1	–	5	48	54
Laois	1	1	5	85	92
Leitrim	1	–	1	34	36
Limerick	–	–	1	26	27
Longford	–	1	1	62	64
Louth	2	–	10	48	60
Mayo	2	1	6	58	67
Meath	1	1	15	56	73
Monaghan	2	–	2	10	14
Offaly	1	1	4	95	101
R'common	–	1	–	46	47
Sligo	3	–	3	66	72
Tipperary	1	–	4	51	56
Waterford	–	–	1	12	13
W'meath	1	2	2	108	113
Wexford	1	–	–	21	22
Wicklow	2	–	9	47	58
Total	29	10	105	1,326	1,470