Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 20 Mar 2002

Vol. 550 No. 4

Written Answers. - Departmental Staff.

John Perry

Question:

519 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 206 of 30 May, 2001 in relation to clerical officer vacancies in County Sligo, the number of persons who have been called from this panel; if there are approximately 250 persons on this panel; if this panel will be exhausted irrespective of the length of time this takes; if each person on the panel will be offered a position before a new competition is held; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8578/02]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

The earlier parliamentary question to which the Deputy refers – Question No. 206 answered on 30 May 2001 – related to the composition of the Department's transfer lists for Sligo. At that time there were about 170 people on the clerical officer transfer list for that location.

The Deputy may wish to note that revised central arrangements for filling of clerical officer vacancies in large provincial centres, including Sligo, which were introduced in late 2001, provide that appointments to these posts will be made both from the relevant transfer list and by direct recruitment from competitions conducted by the Civil Service Commission.

The ratio of appointments from each source is 50:50 over a period of a year.

There are some 135 names on the Department's clerical officer transfer list for Sligo but there are no vacancies to be filled in the Sligo offices at present. The applicants are from a number of different Departments and offices and many are required to serve in the location for which they were recruited for a minimum period of one year before being released for transfer to another location.

The placing of individual applicants on the Department's transfer lists is not affected in any way by competitions conducted by the Civil Service Commission.

Michael Ring

Question:

520 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number employed in the Social Welfare Appeals Office, giving details of each category of staff in each of the past ten years. [8604/02]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following tabular statement.

Staffing in Social Welfare Appeals Office from 1992 to 2002

	PO/higher	AP	HEO	EO	SO	CO	Total
1.1.2002	2	17.5	2	9	5	21	56.5
1.1.2001	2	17	2	7	5	21	54
1.1.2000	2	15	2	8.5	5.5	20.5	53.5
1.1.1999	2	15	2	6	5	19	49
1.1.1998	2	15	2	5.5	4	18	46.5
1.1.1997	2	11	2	5.5	3	18	41.5
1.1.1996	2	12	2	6	3	20.5	45.5
1.1.1995	2	15	3	6	4	21	51
1.1.1994	2	15	2	6	4	25	53
1.1.1993	2	13	2	5.5	2	28.5	53
1.1.1992	2	12	1	6	2	26	49