Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 8 May 2001

Vol. 535 No. 4

Written Answers - Departmental Staff.

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

98 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach the number, grade and professional-technical description of established positions in his Department; the number of such positions that are currently filled in an acting capacity; the number of such positions that are vacant; the number of such positions that have been vacant for more than one year; the steps being taken by his Department to fill these vacant positions; if a Civil Service competition is required; if the existing panel can be utilised; when it is expected to fill these vacant positions; if the inability to maintain a full complement of established positions is delaying the implementation of the national development plan; if so, if the existence of these vacancies has been reported to the committee of the Cabinet charged with overseeing the implementation of the national development plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13035/01]

The Taoiseach

The number and grade of established positions in my Department are set out in the following table:

Grade	No. ofpositions	Actingcapacity	Vacancies
Secretary general	2	nil	nil
Assistant secretary	5	nil	nil
Principal officer	13	nil	nil
Assistant principal	20½	1	½
Higher executive officer	16	1	1
Administrative officer	14	nil	2
Executive officer	18½	nil	1½
Staff Officer	11½	1	1
Clerical officer	52	nil	1

There is no position that has been vacant for more than one year. My Department has a small number of requests with the Civil Service Commission to fill the posts at higher executive officer, administrative officer and clerical officer levels. There is no panel at the moment to fill higher executive officer or administrative officer vacancies. It is expected that these panels will be set up by the end of May 2001.

Vacancies at clerical level are filledvia the commission on an ongoing basis. The vacancies at executive and staff officer levels are being filled by internal competition, which is ongoing. These vacancies are not causing any delay in the implementation of the national development plan.