Departmental Staff Promotions

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 November 2012

Tuesday, 6 November 2012

Questions (146)

Mary Lou McDonald

Question:

146. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach the number of staff members of his Department that have been awarded internal promotions and or additional acting up or temporary allowances to perform more senior roles since 27 March 2009; the details of the grades involved; the pre-promotion temporary acting and post promotion temporary acting pay scales; the total increase in salary payments to each staff member involved; the duration of assignments; the area to which each person was assigned; the business reasons supporting any such decision; the details of sanction received from the Department of Finance and or Public Expenditure and Reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47234/12]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

Details of the internal promotions to permanent positions in my Department since 27 March 2009 are set out in the table beneath.

Grade to which Officer was Promoted	Previous Grade	Number of Promotions	Areas to which each promoted officer was assigned
Principal Officer	Assistant Principal Officers	3	- two to Economic, International and Northern Ireland Division. - one to Public Service Modernisation Division (now transferred to the Department of Public Expenditure and Refrom
Assistant Principal Officer	1 Administrative Officer 1Higher Executive Officer	2	- one to Corporate Affairs. - one to Economic, International and Northern Ireland Division.
Higher Executive Officer	Executive Officer	1	Economic, International and Northern Ireland Division.
Executive Officer	3 Clerical Officers	3	- one to EU Affairs and Co-ordinaton Division. - one to Government Secretariat. - one to Corporate Affairs.
Head Service Officer	Service Officer	1	Corporate Affairs.

The total increased salary cost arising from these promotions was €64,639. The average salary increase for the officers promoted to Principal Officer is €9,439; for officers promoted, for Assistant Principal Officer it was €12,479; and for Executive Officers it was €2,593. The average salary increase between the other two grades where promotions took place was €1,792.

All staff were, and continue to be paid in accordance with Department of Public Expenditure pay circulars, copies of which are available on that Department's website, www.per.gov.ie.

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform sanction was received in respect of each promotion in accordance with standard procedures . My Department has undergone a reduction in both staff numbers (down 18%) and budget (down 44%) in recent years. Each promotion was required to fill a vacancy in my Department which was considered essential to fill in order to ensure the Department's ongoing objectives are achieved.

No staff in my Department have been awarded acting up allowances since 27 March 2009.

The current Secretary General and one Assistant Secretary previously served in my department in the grades of Assistant Secretary and Principal Officer respectively.