Vol. 531 No. 4
2 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach the reasons for the 25% increase in his Department's allocation for salaries, wages and expenses for 2001 over the same allocation for 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4025/01]
The allocation for salaries, wages and expenses for my Department in the 2001 Estimates is £6.5 million. The increase on the 2000 allocation is due to a number of factors.
A substantial part of the increase relates to the pay increases agreed in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. The balance relates to increased resources to provide an improved service in important areas such as EU and international affairs and regulatory reform. It also provides for improved support services, including in the Government Press Office, internal audit, information technology and the Department's website and library. There are additional costs related to staff allowances and pay costs for staff returning to the Department from career breaks or other duties. There is also provision for annual pay increments, increased employer's PRSI costs and staff upgradings under agreements between the unions and the Department of Finance.
I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. I suspect I may have to come back to him with more detailed questions because there was a great deal of information in his response. Does the increase of 25%, set against a background where there is the dispute with the teachers, not to mention other possible disputes, represent net additional moneys or does it include people who have been transferred from one Vote to another such as people transferring from other Departments to his Department, or is it all real additional money?
The reason I gave a lengthy reply is that there is no one big figure – there are about 14 or 15 areas. As Deputy Quinn would acknowledge, the base on the staff side in the Department of the Taoiseach is small so that gives the increases. There are no big movements – it is all built on the estimated outturn extrapolated from the outturn of what was based on a no change basis, say, taking into account special pay increases. I have the breakdown, if the Deputy wishes me to run through it.
Please.
The provisional outturn is £5.7 million. The estimated outturn extrapolated from the outturn on a no change basis taking into account pay increases from 1 October last, which are not included in that, brings it up to £6.046 million. On additional posts of which there are two or three, the figure is approximately £120,000 and that includes an assistant secretary. There are increases in allowances for four staff which amounts to £32,000. On staff returning – a higher executive officer and a clerical officer – the figure is £46,000. The figure for a professional accountant is £30,000. PRSI averaged 4.4% and increments and superannuations were 1.2% at £136,000. There is an adjustment for the pay increase as per 1 October next, which is £90,000. That brings the figure up to £6.5 million.
What are the additional posts? What are their rank, grade and function?
The additional posts include a principal officer to assistant secretary post. There is a principal officer post, which I think is a higher grade principal officer post, and there is an assistant secretary post, which was not filled for most of last year but which has now been filled. They are the only additional posts.
Does the Taoiseach find it somewhat disconcerting, notwithstanding that he is the Taoiseach, that his Department does not seem to have any difficulty getting extra personnel and having those posts filled whereas there is literally a procession of additional posts that have been sanctioned but which cannot be filled? Is he concerned that right across the public service, certainly in Departments about which we have asked specific questions, there are substantial numbers of vacancies for posts which are already there and in respect of new posts? As we saw yesterday, personnel cannot be found. Will the Taoiseach indicate if he proposes any action in relation to the filling of the vacancies?
Regrettably, I do not have the figure for my Department but I think I have given it here quite recently. There is a large number of unfilled posts in my Department because people from different grades have left. Overall, we have had a number of conversations and plans with the Civil Service Commission. It has upped and changed quite a large number of its positions. The former secretary to the Government, Mr. Murray, on retirement moved in to assist in the efforts. It has revamped a number of procedures for filling posts to quicken up the process. It has held a large number of competitions to fill the posts.
Having said that, last year I think movement across Departments was far higher but, equally, the number of vacancies across Departments increased in line with the people leaving in recent years. That will continue this year. Until 1998, there would have been competitions for most grades in the Civil Service every third year and, in some cases, every fifth year. In recent years, there has been a competition every year and that, in itself, has put pressure on the whole organisation. The Civil Service Commissioners are conscious of their obligations to try to create panels and to quickly recruit people to the additional posts. I also have that problem and there is a large number of posts in my Department, particularly at the lower end scales.
Does the Taoiseach accept, given his responsibility for the Government, that there is now a management crisis in Government due to the shortage of personnel right across the main Departments? If he accepts there is a crisis, what action does he propose to take?
I do not consider it a crisis. We have to endeavour to fill any vacancies. Traditionally, people tended to stay in the Civil Service for a variety of reasons. There is a large number of opportunities in the private sectors. The Deputy will have seen the figures in recent days and the ILO figures show that there is only 2.6% unemployment in the greater Dublin area. It is only in the Border region that there is any level of unemployment. That is creating pressures and demand for people and for jobs.
The Civil Service Commission has responded to that by changing its procedures to allow it to hold competitions and exams which, while not overly difficult, produce a desirable calibre of civil servants. It is becoming increasingly difficult to attract people into the Civil Service and keep them there, but the commission is doing its utmost to address the situation.
